Puto-kutsinta ni Bae Osiang
Kuro-kuro watch
Jan 31st, 2010 by ella
I know, I know, nagpaalam na muna ako sa isyung ‘to pero hindi ko ito matiis na hindi i-share. Magaling ang pagkakahimay-himay.
LIBEL and BLOGGING, an article posted by the DAILY PCIJ (Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism), has one of the most comprehensive analysis of the controversial post and its consequences.
Here’s an excerpt from the article:
It’s far too early to tell what will happen next in Cabral’s case against Ella, who had commented in her October 22 update to her original post: “I don’t want to accuse (Cabral) of corruption but at the very least she is showing signs of being totally incompetent. We are in a state of calamity where every second counts. May namamatay araw-araw dahil sa sakit (There is someone dying every day because of illness).”
“In my opinion,” she added, “these deaths could have been prevented if Secretary Cabral had tried a little harder to do her job.”
An effective piece of citizen journalism
A long-time bureaucrat whose commitment to her work has been admired by many, Cabral probably found those words hard to take. Still, the merit of Ella’s original post seems to have been lost in the debate over the ensuing libel case. Far from rumor-mongering, the post was an excellent piece of blogging and citizen journalism.
It was informative, detailed, and well-documented, and it was written in a light, informal tone that resonated with any blog reader. It also asked pertinent questions: Why was it so hard to sign up to volunteer? Why wasn’t the facility taking in more volunteers when other venues had a surplus of them? What was going to happen to the relief goods once the damage from Ondoy becomes out of sight and out of mind?
The post was also effective, because after it gained popularity, traditional media outlets and bloggers swooped down on the DSWD facility to look into the matter. They confirmed what Ella had written about in her blog — that the DSWD could use help so that the relief goods could get out to the victims much faster. More importantly, Ella’s post served as a siren call for volunteers to come in droves to the warehouse and help with the packing of the relief goods. It underscored the power of blogging and highlighted the role of the citizen journalist in calling attention to important issues that may otherwise be left unreported.”
An ADDENDUM from the post of Orlando Roncesvalles:
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ADDENDUM: This is something written by Manuel L. Quezon, III around the time of the Ella blog, and quoted below:
“At this point I think it’s safe to say that the DSWD was caught:
1. Reacting slowly to an ongoing emergency;
2. Trying to blame the public -the “lack of volunteers”- for not getting its (the DSWD’s) job done (within hours of the story gaining wide readership on the Internet, guess who Tweets an appeal for volunteers);
3. Trying to reassure the public by means of press releases saying they’re “working around the clock” when the only thing awake tonight was a fluffy white dog.”
Every netizen, blogger or not, has his/her own opinion regarding the libel issue. Kanya-kanyang kuro-kuro, kanya-kanyang pananaw. Many bloggers took up the cause, some have opposing views, pero wala pa po akong isinusulat na sariling opinyon.
nabasa ko na naman itong “walang volunteers” lol. very stupid reasoning.
[Reply]
ella Reply:
February 1st, 2010 at 6:00 am
Ei Jules,
I totally loved the one about “calibrated release”.
Parang ganito ‘yon eh:
“Naku, pasensiya na, mga biktima ni Ondoy, hindi kasi puwedeng ibigay sa inyo ito ngayon kahit nangingisay na kayo o kahit para sa inyo LAHAT ito. You know, what about the FUTURE victims of FUTURE floods?
PRICELESS!
[Reply]
good day! asia society and ipvg corp would like to invite you to a dialogue between the 2010 presidentiables and young leaders, iVote: The Vision of the Presidency and the Youth on Feb 9, 9am-4pm at the Romulo auditorium of the RCBC Plaza.
Event details here: http://www.facebook.com/trish.vega?v=app_2344061033&ref=profile#/event.php?eid=278880986972&index=1
[Reply]