House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate on Thursday, July 8 slammed PDP-Laban, the state-owned PTV-4 and the Presidential Broadcast Staff- Radio Television Malacanang (PBS-RTVM) for using government facilities in the airing of the ruling political party’s meeting.
Zarate was apparently referring to the National Council meeting meeting of President Duterte’s political party held in Cebu last May 31.
"This is an unabashed display of impunity in using government time and resources for a clearly partisan political activity aimed at pandering the whims of Pres. Duterte to escape accountability and extend his tyrannical influence, control and power beyond June 30, 2022,” said Zarate.
He disclosed that the two-hour meeting was aired in full by PTV-4, the government broadcast station operated by People’s Television Network, “whose airtime is paid for by taxpayer’s money.”
Malacañang's broadcast team the PBS-RTVM also provided additional live coverage of the event.
Zarate noted that the meeting was called by the party “seemingly to convince Duterte to run for vice president in the 2022 elections.” "Has the government station become the private property of PDP-Laban or is it in line with Pres. Duterte's penchant for claiming taxpayer's paid services and personnel as his own?" the opposition leader asked.
"Is this also the reason why RTVM and PTV always have airtime for favored presumptive candidates of the president, especially when the program is simulcasted with other networks? They are trying to expand the media mileage and they have been doing this early on," he added.
Zarate said Duterte and his political allies should know that the “presidency is not a throne that can be inherited or passed on to one’s chosen successor.
“We are not a fiefdom and we do not want a president that would just be a puppet or an aide to the one pulling the strings,” he stressed.
The PDP-Laban meeting in Cebu was held amid protests from the camp of Senator Manny Pacquiao, party president.
Pacquiao said the party event was conducted in violation of party rules which states that only he and the chairman can call for a meeting. Duterte is the party chairman.
Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, PDP-Laban vice chairman, admitted he organized the meeting on orders of Duterte.