I WOULD not pretend that I know a lot about the current controversy that is rocking the Malacañang these days, or that I cared much about it. In fact, I admit that I would not, for the love of my life, rally along the streets of España and shout obscenities to the current administration. I am just an ordinary Nursing student who is eager to graduate and get rid of the toils of student life for good.
Before it became the full-blown controversy that it is now, I did not know much about the ZTE Broadband deal. And what I know is perhaps the same as, if not less than, what most people know, which are basically information that we gleaned from the television and various print media.
The media has played a huge role in this whole hullabaloo. A little research on the issue and various chats with Journalism students led me to Jarius Bondoc’s column in the Philippine Star, wherein he first divulged the ZTE issue as confided to him by his source, Commission on Higher Education Secretary Romulo Neri. This started the whole cascade of events leading to what is now the biggest threat to PGMA’s administration. If the media had not been following the issue, I do not think that it would have created quite a stir today.
In fact, the media must have saved the life of star witness Jun Lozada. During the time when he was allegedly “kidnapped” by Philippine National Police Chief Avelino Razon and his men, was it not because Lozada was already “mainit na sa media” that led them to release him?
If not for this vigilant intervention from the press, Lozada might have been easily whisked off to some obscure place, never to be heard of again.
It was also in ABS-CBN’s Harapan aired last February 16 that former Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos and the rest of the alleged culprits had a face-to-face bout with Lozada. There was a text poll there that asked, “Naniniwala ba kayo kay Lozada?”
What started out as a 60-40 per cent yes-no vote ratio turned out to be a lopsided 92-8 per cent at the end of the show. Even Abalos’ precious documents proved to be worthless against Lozada’s mere testimonies.
Perhaps the results were influenced by the way the people involved answered the questions, and through this the viewers were able to gauge who was telling the truth or not. Through the media, the Filipinos are finally able to make a stand.
Indeed, with the influx of information that the media is feeding us, apathy has become a thing of the past. We cannot afford to be indifferent anymore. I guess what people want now is the truth, for nowadays one does not know who to believe, or who is telling the truth.
Just recently, the President admitted that there is an anomaly in the ZTE Broadband deal after denying it for countless times. How can one establish trust in the present administration when lies and deceit are adamant in the system?
Now, it is hard not to care. This column is proof that this ordinary student has brushed apathy aside and decided to stand for truth, along with tens of thousands of students who has had enough.
