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Gov’t media seek additional budget to counter negative reports

By Camela Fonbuena, Newsbreak, abs-cbnNEWS.com | 09/15/2008 3:22 PM

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Press secretary Jesus Dureza today called on Congress to increase funding for the government media  to counter what he called “carpet bombing” by various sectors to “demonize” President Arroyo.

The Office of the Press Secretary, which operates government radio and television stations, was allotted a budget of P960 million under the National Expenditure Program for 2009.

“I would have asked for a bigger budget, to be candid about it. Since I assumed office, I see there’s a lot that can be done,” Dureza said in today’s budget briefing of the House committee on appropriations. The budget was prepared under the leadership of former press secretary Ignacio Bunye, whom Dureza replaced only in June.

President Arroyo, the longest serving president since the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, has been performing badly in opinion polls. Her ratings crashed as low as -38 last July.

Reaching out through radio

The proposed budget already increased the department’s budget for capital outlay by 59 percent. It increased to P24 million from 2008’s P15 million. A bulk of it will fund two radio transmitters for Radyo ng Bayan in Davao and Marawi provinces in Mindanao.

Radyo ng Bayan is the government’s radio station on news and current affairs. “Most of the equipment of Radyo ng Bayan have deteriorated. Last year, we were not given the budget for the acquisition of new equipment,” said John Manalili of the Bureau of Broadcast Services.

Radyo ng Bayan has 32 stations nationwide. Manalili said only two or three statoins are given allocations every year.

 The administration congressmen supported Dureza’s call for budget increase. He was asked to present the additional budget required in the next sub-committee hearing.

“We’re losing in the media war,” said deputy speaker Amelita Villarosa (Kampi) of Occidental Mindoro.
 
“The government should have a fighting chance in the battle for peoples’ hearts and minds,” said Paranaque Rep. Eduardo Zialcita (Lakas-CMD) added.

“This is what we’re struggling with right now,” said Dureza. “The President is the best performer I’ve seen. According to surveys, her policies are rating high. But her popularity is low. There’s a disconnect there. She had been demonized unfairly by many sectors.”

“There’s a premeditated effort to destroy the president who has performed well. They don’t even provide evidence,” he added.

Dureza  castigated  former DSWD chief Dinky Soliman for once blaming the President for the woman in Pampanga who killed he children and committed suicide. “Many groups use inuendos. This is now the name of the game.”

Soliman is part of the Hyatt 10, a group of President Arroyo’s Cabinet who resigned and called for her resignation in 2005.

Dureza said the problem is primarily in Metro Manila. Radyo ng Bayan’s ranking ranges from five to eight among about 20 radio stations in region. More than 60 percent of the audience share is already cornered by the top three radio stations—DZMM, DZBB, and DZRH.

Bayan Muna among 'carpet bombers'

Dureza also identified Bayan Muna among the carpet bombers. “There’s disconnect because of what your group has done. You have not given credit to the government. You are very selective,” Dureza told Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casino, who was present in the hearing.

“You’re all silent in your sector when Commander Kato committed all these atrocities,” Dureza said. Commander Kato led members of the Moro Islamic Liberation front in the deadly attacks in Mindanao following the Supreme Court’s TRO on the Moro homeland accord.

Dureza also called on Bayan Muna for a “condemnation of what the NPA has been doing."

“We are not doing the carpet bombing,” Casino argued. “These are realities that people see everyday.”

Casino also said that they did condemn these human rights violations, but these were not picked up by the media.

as of 09/15/2008 3:22 PM