Iloilo 1st District Representative and former Department of Health (DOH) secretary Janette Garin gave an emotionally-charged testimony against ABS-CBN on Monday, describing the franchise applicant as a source of “public health misinformation.”
Speaking before a joint House panel tackling the pending franchise of the shuttered network, Garin called out ABS-CBN news and current affairs for its supposed penchant for interviewing “fake experts” on matters of medical nature and of public health, as well as its coverage on the Dengvaxia controversy.
“If you cannot perceive the real experts in the country, how can you have responsible journalism? How can you convey the real public health information? How can you deny that you have unknowingly and unconsciously become a part of that virus that's creeping on our public health?” she said.
“Mas masahol pa sa COVID- 19 ang public health misinformation (Public health misinformation is worse than COVID-19),” stressed the doctor-lawmaker.
Garin told the joint panel that she knew of many instances wherein ABS-CBN “sacrificed public health simply because of the fight to be the first one to come out with the news.” However, she was not able to enumerate all of them due to the limited time given to interpellators.
Among those she did cite was a 2014 segment from ABS-CBN's late night news program “Bandila,” which erroneously reported psoriasis as a mysterious flesh-eating disease gripping parts of Pangasinan.
She also claimed that the network's reporting on the Dengvaxia issue was partly to blame for Filipinos' ensuing loss of confidence in vaccines, therefore paving the way for the return of several infectious diseases that have long been beaten.
“Ano po ang nangyari? Natakot lahat ng nanay; bumalik ang polio, nagkaroon tayo ng outbreak ng measles, nagkaroon tayo ng outbreak ng Japanese encephalitis, dengue ... name it, you have it (What happened? Mothers became scared, polio returned, we had outbreaks witn measles and Japanese encephalitis, dengue fever...name it, you have it).
“Now it pains me to hear your that you have been helping the Filipino people, that you have been helping our country.Tulong po ba yung ibinalik niyo yung lahat ng mga infectious diseases na natanggal na ng atin bansa (Is bringing back these infectious diseases considered help to the country)?” Garin asked the attending network officials.
Garin named in particular a network “favourite” Dr. Erwin Efre of the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) forensics division. As in the past, she questioned ABS-CBN’s touting of Efre as a “forensics expert.”
The PAO had used findings from Erfe's autopsies to build cases against Garin and her ex-colleagues from the DOH in connections with the Dengvaxia issue, it can be recalled. The lady solon was still Health secretary in April, 2016, when the Aquino administration tapped the anti-dengue fever vaccine for its mass inoculation program.
“Paulit- ulit po nananawagan yung mga doctor (Doctors have repeatedly appealed); Why don't you focus on specialty organizations? If you talk about psoriasis, call the Philippine Society of Dermatologists and they will give a person. If you talk about autopsies, call Philippine Society of Pathologists and they will give you facts and not fake experts... do not call people simply because they are your friends,” said Garin, who is a Senior Deputy Minority Leader.
In her response, ABS-CBN News Chief Ging Reyes acknowledged that indeed their news team interviewed non-experts, particularly on Dengvaxia.
“Your honor, in our pursuit of the truth about Dengvaxia, who sought information from various sources including experts, officials and present of the ... we tried our best to do our stories in a fair and balanced way. But I do understand and acknowledge your concern about the use of non-experts.
“In fact, I myself received feedback that some of our commentator interviews with non-experts tended to alarm people. As a result of that, I acted on it immediately and we dealt with a commentary as well. We also put an end to stories on Dengvaxia that tended to cause alarm among the general public,” Reyes said.
ABS-CBN went off the air last May 5, a day after the expiration of its previous 25-year operation franchise.
Although the current 18th Congress only began in July, 2019, the general perception has been that the television and radio giant would have a tough time getting its franchise renewed under President Duterte, who assumed the Palace seat three years prior.
“Let me just ask this direct question: Ginamit niyo ba ang Dengvaxia para mapalapit,at akala niyo ay mapapalapit kayo kay Pangulong Duterte, by hitting the previous administration (Did you use the Dengvaxia issue to gain closeness to President Duterte, because you thought hitting the previous administration would do that for you)?” Garin asked.
“Hindi po (No),” said ABS-CBN Chief Executive Officer Carlo Katigbak.
The House members are expected to vote on whether or not to renew the network's franchise later this week.