The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) slammed radio broadcaster Erwin Tulfo for verbally attacking Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista on-air.
In a statement on Monday, June 3, the NUJP said there is “no excuse” for Tulfo’s “utter lack of ethics and scruples in publicly insulting” Bautista when he failed to grant the veteran broadcaster’s request for an interview.
“Tinatawagan ka namin para marinig ng mga kababayan nating mahihirap ang stand ng mga mahihirap. Hindi ‘yung sasabihan mo kami na sumulat muna kayo five days before. Eh sino ka bang punyet* ka na kailangan ko pang sumulat-sulat sa’yo? Sagutin mo ‘yang telepono mo dahil ikaw ay DSWD (We are calling you so that the people will hear the stand of our poor fellow countrymen. Not for you to tell us that we should send a letter five days before. Who do you think you are that I need to write a letter first? Answer your phone because you are [the secretary] of the Department of Social Welfare and Development)!” Tulfo told Bautista during his program in the state-run Radyo Pilipinas.
While the NUJP acknowledges that it is part of a journalist’s job to seek comments and answers from government officials, the group stressed that “the vitriol he heaped on Bautista clearly had nothing to do with whether or not the secretary was doing his job and everything to do with Tulfo’s exaggerated sense of entitlement.”
“The issue is Tulfo’s brand of ‘journalism,’ and we are using the term very liberally since what he and his ilk practice bear little resemblance to the profession of truth, which, ironically, is what this administration seems to prefer even as it vilifies those who do their work seriously and credibly,” it added.
The NUJP said it hopes that media personalities will realize that revenues from “unethical and irresponsible muckraking” can never compensate the damages it brought to the profession and other people’s reputation.
Tulfo, for his part, had issued an apology to Bautista after he drew flak for his rants, saying that he should, perhaps, “tone down” his commentary style.
“I think I have to tone it down, I have to change my style kahit na sinasabi na (even though) it is kind of a Tulfo-brand of journalism. I think we have to change that,” Tulfo told CNN Philippines on Monday.
The Palace, meanwhile, commended Tulfo for being “gentleman enough” to apologize and asked the people to “move forward” from the incident.
“Mr. Tulfo has his reasons for doing what he did. He apologized for it and I think we shall accept the apology,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo had said.