We were hurt, no, we are hurting. And by ‘we’ I mean, me, my brothers, and the rest of our family.

You see, Ma’am, I’m living here in the metro and my brother called me earlier this morning — which he usually doesn’t do unless it is some kind of emergency — to burst his frustrations, pain, and hurting out.

I am writing this letter as my teacher in one of my MA classes is discussing about I don’t know what because my mind wanders to my brothers back home who are hurt by the words you broadcasted about our mom.

I am writing this open-letter — being the eldest child of three — for the woman you condemned on-air and whom we admire so much.

I’m writing this open-letter in favor of you, Ma’am. As a journalist, it’s against the code of ethics, but let me present, just like what you did, a one-sided story. It’s just that, this time, it’s my mother’s.

I am writing this letter, without my mom knowing, because she told me earlier that it’s okay, and I just let it be, let it pass. But, Ma’am, I can’t. Because the woman you just insensitively degraded and insulted on air is the same woman who works hard to put food on our table. The woman who sends me and my brothers to school though it means sacrificing her luxuries she mostly deserves.

Ma’am, this is my mom’s side and because you impulsively aired the other’s without stating disclaimers and without prior verification, I choose to write it in the most restpectful way I can.

Dear Ma’am Vicky, my mother is the most compassionate person you can possibly meet in entire humanity. If, just like what you said, you think that she is unethical, has no manners, and I don’t know what negativities more, I’m telling you, you’re thinking — or you thought– wrong.

The incident, my Mom said, happened last Tuesday. She was goofing around with the nurses, and she teased, as she always does, this woman — whoever she is — by pouring an empty bottled water above her head.

To clear things out, it’s empty, but it is inevitable that a drop would come from the container — no elaboration needed, just pure common sense.

Again, it was empty, in contrast of what you told the public that my Mom poured a glass full of water to *whoever she is*. If it is true, my Mom should be suspended by that rude act by now.

I am writing this open-letter, in behalf of my Mom, to say sorry for bonding with her colleagues. We are sorry that Mom does not make a bad record when it comes to her co-workers, and we are sorry that she is deeply loved by her fellows. Most importantly, we are sorry that a droplet of water had the woman’s hair a bit wet. We already debriefed our mom to never do such an act, ever again. But we are not going to say sorry for what we think about your impulsive broadcasting.

What would you feel if you are accused of being involved in a love triangle, knowing full well that you have a loving husband and children, who for the first time in their entire existence, heard the unimaginable news on a live broadcast, early in the morning, while getting ready to go to school?

What do you think will your children do to further process this information? I don’t know if you have children because if you don’t, I’ll understand why you don’t think even for a second before you speak these kind of social issues publicly. Because from what I observe everytime I come home in the province is that you don’t consider the feelings of the people that may be involved and hurt with your words.

I grew up having Bombo Radyo as my alarm [clock] every morning because my grandmother always wants to hear news from your station. So, thank you, still, for existing.

However, ma’am, in case you forgot, let me tell you again the news values that we, as journalists, must live with, ideally, so to speak.

The news about my Mom only falls under human interest, in the side of conflict and I acknowledge that. However, you missed one value, the significance (of the matter) or what we also call [social] relevance. It also seems that you did not consider the professional standard side which includes accuracy, completeness, fairness, and balance in your script.

I also want to reiterate about ethical standards in the part of justice, but I am not going to add detail about it because I am hoping that through this writing, we are going to have the justice that you– with the person who reported the disinformation to you– unconsciously and deliberately took away from our family.

I remember what my professor in Media Law class said earlier today and I quote, “False information has the capacity to lodge themselves in the minds of the people,” and that just happened because of your cavalier. So, don’t blame me, Ma’am, if I state the obvious, that what you practiced in my Mom’s case is a selective broadcast journalism.This is one-sided, and I don’t care, because I’m copying what you did. The only difference is that the whole region heard your rants and degrading opinion that caused my Mom’s dignity as a leader, a friend, and a woman who’s always in service to humanity falter a bit.

That, Ma’am, I am telling you now, has been the bad consequence/s of what you reported on air.

This is one-sided because I am joining your bandwagon, the status quo you set as a standard in Ilocos Norte broadcast journalism. But this is the first and I promise, my last.

I am writing this because we are hurt, no, we are hurting.. And because we don’t want other sons and daughters to feel the dread we are currently feeling now just because of your irrelevant shouting and snide remarks on air.. And I, again, end with emphasis, without prior verification.

Ma’am, this is the other side of the story. You’re welcome.

Sincerely,
A daughter who can’t just be silent while her Mom is being accused of unverified news from unreliable sources ~