Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Praying for a Journalist's Bright Future

I would like to report conduct unbecoming of Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism Multi-Media Deputy Officer Cong B. Corrales and recommend that he be retrained as a journalist according to PCIJ standards.

He posted on Facebook a link of a Manila Times article about an Ateneo de Naga student who disrupted President Ninoy’s speech to which I commented

"instead of disrupting the speech, the Ateneo student could have used social media — self publishing his blogs, for example — to share his discontent with the president."

Sure, I am not if it is only I who can not see his Facebook post https://www.facebook.com/congcorrales/posts/10204324166252097 because I have been unfriended and consequently blocked by Cong because of this incident; it is possible he deleted the post, too if you can't see it, too.

However, being his teacher in Journalism in high school, I can not let this incident pass without his superiors at PCIJ knowing about this. I will try to recreate the conversation thread as accurately as I could.

Cong: Both the president and the student have equal freedoms of speech.

Rom: Yes, but the student could have waited for the open forum.

Cong: I did not ask for your opinion. Why are you writing on my wall?

Rom: Is your FB profile hacked? I seem not to be conversing with the rational journalism student I know way back in Xavier University High School who is now a journalist at the PCIJ.

Cong: (in Visayan) Fuck teachers!

Rom: Kalinaw ug Kahusay.
Former teachers Evelyn GomezRoque Breboneria and 10 others I tried to reach out via post mentions and Clarita Hallares, was the only one I noticed who acknowledged my comments. To his peers fb group, I too posted:

Rom Cumagun posted in XUHS 1990.

5:35pm


XUHS 1990 I seriously think my former journalism student

Cong B. Corrales needs your advice. Please comment. thank you all! https://www.facebook.com/congcorrales/posts/10204324166252097looking for peace at romcumagunmedianewsonlinecom

Cong Corrales is one of my students whom i regard highly. In fact he is one of my claims to greatness as a journalism teacher. He was one of the students i brought along with me in a mass mobilisation against Del Monte Philippines. Bukidnon in which i was reprimanded by the school principal.


Anti-Del Monte Plantation expansion in Impasug-ong, Bukidnon 1980 

Cong and I chatted via fb pm before this incident and he told me "that day was memorable to him and had a bearing to what he does professionally now." Alas after 25 years I felt I did something right. My jubilation though was dampened by his behaviour recently.

Wasting away his talent for some reason i still do not know is the last thing I would like to happen. His behaviour towards me was so callous that I could only think of two possible causes: 1) his fb account has been hacked 2) he was on drugs or alcohol. I am not taking any chances and so this report.

Special mention of friends at PCIJ whom I seek extra attention on the matter: David Celdran (i hope you remember me producing "Filipino" infomercials with ABS-CBN News Channel during the Pres. Estrada impeachment), Sheila Coronel (we met at Miriam College during one of your talks) Ces Balgos (we are schoolmates).

I pray all will be well with our mutual friend Cong. May PCIJ prosper and live long.


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