video from GMA-7′s official Facebook page
GMA TELEVISION, one of the country’s largest television networks, has released a 30-second plug endorsing the long-delayed Freedom of Information (FOI) bill.
The plug features GMA Vice President for Production of GMA News and veteran journalist Jessica Soho. In the plug, Soho says the country is now at a critical stage in history, and ordinary Filipinos should have a hand in the direction it takes.
More importantly, Soho says the ordinary Filipinos, and not just the media, are now asking where their tax pesos go. For this, she says, Filipinos are all demanding accountability.
“Saan napupunta at paano ginagastos ang pera ng bayan?” Soho asks in the plug. “Hindi ba dapat may pananagutan?”
(Where does the money go, and how is it spent? Shouldn’t there be accountability?)
“Katotohanan din ang hinahanap at pinaka kailangan ngayon ng buong bayan,” she adds.
(Truth is what is wanted and needed by the country.)
The plug ends with the graphic that states: GMA News supports the Freedom of Information Bill.
The plug immediately caught on, especially on Facebook, where it has been already been shared 900 times, with 3,500 likes as of Sunday morning.
“Transparency is the key to good governance,” commented Mhar Andres on GMA’s Facebook.
“1,000,000 agree!” said De Ocampo Carol.
FOI advocates have been pressing the passage of the FOI for more than a decade now, despite resistance from Congress and the cold shoulder from Malacanang. Earlier last week, Senators had already indicated that they would speed up the passage of the measure in the upper chamber.
However, the bill has traditionally met the stiffest resistance in the lower chamber, where many Congressmen have expressed their desire to block the bill, or insert provisions that are unacceptable to the advocates.