PA slams media outlet tor allegedly twisting facts
PROVINCIAL ADMINISTRATOR KATHYRIN PIOQUINTO
Provincial Administrator Kathyrin Pioquinto slammed a media outlet for allegedly twisting the facts.
The Capitol official aired her sentiment on a post on social media dated Mar. 22, 2022. She identified the media outlet as The Bohol Chronicle.
As a backgrounder, Dr. Willie Ong, the vice presidential candidate of Aksyon Demokratiko party and the running mate of presidentiable Manila mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, visited Bohol in March 2022 and met with some members of the media. Ong visited Bohol as part of his campaign sortie.
Pioquinto in her post said that this is the second time the media outlet exploited the statement of a credible source and twisted it to generate the ire of Boholanos.
“At least ikaduha na ni kahigayon nga inyong gi- deliberately exploit ang usa ka credible source para ma-manipular ug masuko ang mga Bol-anon pamaagi sa sayop nga impormasyon,”she lamented in her post.
Pioquinto pointed out that another doctor was the victim of twisted news by the media outlet.
“Usa na pud ka doctor ang inyong gi-biktima! Parehas sa una nga ni-post pud mo ug ‘breaking news’ tungod sa omicron naa sa Bohol unja wala diay. Nauwaw ko ni Dr. Jean Loreche nga inyo pa jud gi-interview sa inyong radio station the next day kay inyo na man gi-edit ang sayop pero wa-jud mo niangkon. Gigamit ang DOH [Department of Health] pathologist para mo-ingon sakto inyong gi-edit na report kay nikuyanap na man ang pagka sayop sa inyong ‘breaking news!’ ” Pioquinto quipped.
“A simple erratum would have sufficed, dili na unta gi-apil ang usa ka doctor nga nitrabaho lang ug tarong,” the provincial administrator mentioned in her post.
Moreover, she said: “Unja, wala jud mo natagam no?
Gi-otro na pud ninyo! Last March 17, you posted an article headlined: “Ong: Lack of healthcare facilities, workers preventing Level 1 status in Bohol.”
However, Pioquinto said there is a problem with the actual quote of Dr. Ong because it was not aligned with the article’s headline.
Pioquinto said: “Pero ang direct quote diay ni Ong base sa article: ‘Bakit Level 2 ang mga probinsya? Simple lang, wala kasing magandang ospital, kulang ang health workers sa probinsya, hindi maka open. Oras lang siguro na magkaroon ng 50 to 100 COVID case, mapupuno,’ said vice-presidential candidate Dr. Willie Ong during his visit to Bohol,”.
She mentioned in her post that Dr. Ong never said Bohol is being prevented from getting downgraded from Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 1.
“Wala jud si Dr. Ong naghisgot nga Bohol is prevented from being downgraded to Alert Level 1 due to its lack of health care facilities!” Pioquinto revealed.
Furthermore, Pioquinto explained: “As the executive director of the Bohol IATF, I cannot tolerate this unfair and malicious disinformation! “
She then explained the conditions needed to be met for a province to be placed under Alert Level 1.
“Ang tinuod, para ma-alert level 1 ang usa ka Probinsya, naay upat ka conditions base sa IATF resolution 164 dated March 10, 2022:1. Low to minimal risk case classification;
2. Total bed utilization rate of less than fifty percent (<50%);
3. Full vaccination of seventy percent (70%) of its target population (denominator is (80%) of its total population); and
4. Full vaccination of seventy percent (70%) of its Priority Group A2 (Senior Citizens) target population (denominator is 85% of A2 population).”
She continued: “Base sa report sa atong DOH [Department of Health] ug EOC [Emergency Operations Center] Bohol, ang utilization rate nato sa COVID beds as of March 14 naa lang 38% for ICU, ward beds naa sa 54% and isolation beds at 35%. Ug sa March 21, mas niubos pa jud sa 32% for ICE, 19% for ward, 37% for isolation. “
Moreover, Pioquinto said it is not the lack of facilities and healthcare workers that prevents Bohol from being tagged under Alert Level 1 as she asserted that the comment of Dr. Ong was used by the media outlet to mislead the public.
“So dili ang lack of healthcare facilities and workers ang reason diri sa Bohol. Luoya ni Dr. Ong, gigamit ninyo sa pag mislead!” she said.
Pioquinto continued: “Ang tinuod jud nga hinungdan nganong wala pa ta na downgrade sa Alert Level 1 kay wala pa nato nakuha ang 70% of the 80% sa total population ug 70% sa 85% nato nga senior citizens. Ang 3rd and 4th conditions! Ngano? Kay mas delayed ang distribution sa vaccines sa Provinces compared sa highly urbanized cities and when we received enough vaccines, we were hit by Odette!”
She further then explained: “But compared to all provinces in the entire region 7, except for Siquijor with less than 100,000 population, ang Bohol ang province with the highest vaccination rates, salamat sa kakugi sa atong mga healthcare workers and vaccination teams!”
Even if Bohol was impacted by the typhoon, still vaccination rollout continued here in the province.
“Bisan naigo sa Odette nagpadayon gihapon ang atong mga vaccinators paningkamot ug bakuna sa atong mga katawhan sa Bohol,”she narrated.
Pioquinto pleaded to The Bohol Chronicle: “Please lang, our healthcare workers deserve to be commended, praised, acknowledged for their hard work! They do not deserve to be exploited by your political agenda!”
She then harped: “It is so easy to check these info kay online man atong EOC and IATF resolutions available man pud. “
She then cautioned the media outlet to refrain from abusing the privilege granted by Congress.
“Do not abuse this privilege granted to you by Congress,” Pioquinto stressed.
The provincial administrator cited the law granting a franchise to the radio arm of The Bohol Chronicle, known as dyRD.
“Republic Act 11352 granted the Bohol Chronicle a media franchise of 25 years from July 25, 2019 but under Section 4, you have been mandated with the responsibility to ‘not use its stations or facilities for the broadcasting of obscene or indecent language, speech, act, or scene; or for the dissemination of DELIBERATELY FALSE INFORMATION OR WILLFUL MISREPRESENTATION, TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE PUBLIC INTEREST; or to incite, encourage, or assist in subversive or treasonable acts.’ “
Emphatically, Pioquinto told The Bohol Chronicle: “PLEASE! DO NOT EXPLOIT OUR MEDICAL FRONTLINERS! THEY CONTINUE TO RISK THEIR LIVES TO COMBAT THIS PANDEMIC!”
She continued: “DO NOT ABUSE YOUR PRIVILEGE thru unscrupulous and DELIBERATE posting of FALSE INFORMATION and WILLFUL MISREPRESENTATION.”
Pioquinto then blurted out, ” Your franchise should be revoked by Congress!”