Mal-expression on TV, Battling Words on Air and Profane letters on Prints

On – King Solomon’s teaching that we must apprehend to days-- “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in a frame of silver.”

The 1^st Mindanao Media Forum held at a cozy restobar in Iligan City on October 6, 2007  had a theme, “Unity for Truth and Development.” This media forum was jointly sponsored by the Call for Justice, TransCo, WATCH, Inc., and the City Government of Iligan. The keynote speech of the forum was given by City Mayor Lawrence Lluch Cruz in which he quoted one of the Rotary International’s mottos, “Is it the Truth,” and one of the 10^th Commandment of Moses, “Thou shall not tell lies.”

 The attending media men were from the neighboring cities of Iligan, of whom most of them are print journalists, with few were broadcast journalists. With its moderator, Atty. Ver Quimco, the forum cited the important and big role of media men, both in print and broadcast media-- to be wary in the words they use. For it was observed that few KBP personalities use profane words on air even if they are already hurting people –just to prove who’s who among them.

In a related development, on October 2, 2007 Tuesday, a furor over a slur uttered against the Philippine medical schools on the premier episode of the fourth season of the American TV show  “Desperate Housewives” has prompted a response from Malacanang’s Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita. He said the TV show belittled the abilities of Filipino doctors and sent a message that Philippine medical schools produced “substandard, inferior” medical practitioners.                                                                                                                           Yet on Thursday afternoon (October 4^th) the Malacanang kept quiet after the producers of “Desperate Housewives” and its parent network ABC issued an apology for that piece of dialogue that was perceived as an insult to Philippine Medical schools.  Ermita declined to comment on the apology saying, they leave it up to Filipino doctors and other groups to respond to this belittling dialogue against the Filipino professionals.

On second thought, have we not seen it in ourselves that we are mere strangers in our own profane words? We only find it visible to another person never on ourselves. Our prides were much overviewed than telling the truth of who we really are. Here is an example, the all eloquent Hiligaynon Senator Miriam Defensor probably shouting in her powerful speeches against the Chinese people. She shouted on air in a televised coverage, and journalists quoted the senator’s dirty, meaner words for the Chinese communities in the paper.

“Desperate Housewives” is a sitcom, a TV drama that challenged any Filipinos who are naïve, angry, and boastful about their hard working race. It is only a TV show that is aired without hidden motives to vocalize the real words to express the disgust of a fellow doctor against another inferior subordinate. Moreover, the editorial board of this film does not intend to cut the said profane words to the employed Filipino doctor (in the film) because that’s part of its artistry. Most importantly, in the movie words have to be catching so that the film will get attention of the viewers. Perhaps, the board also found out that it’s the way we Filipinos are, particularly our medical schools.

Moreover, movie producers make their movies more artistic and powerful that viewers will find them very interesting to watch like the “Desperate Housewives.”

Can we not build human relations instead so that we can have a better way to rethink our codes of the Human Rights/Acts Declaration—making ourselves more humane-- a catalyst for truth for a peaceful, united, and developed country?

I would end this issue by quoting the words our honorable Mayor has said, “Is it the truth? Is it constructive criticism? Don’t tell lies! Be free from bondage. Being truthful is not just beholding the real truth.”