Church Café, a group of cultural workers that enjoys studying the Christian faith and finds ways to get engaged in the world, is one with the Filipino and the international communities in expressing extreme disgust over the worship of the culture of money.
This kultura ng pera is best exemplified by the recent exploitation of a minor named Janjan by television host Willie Revillame in his noontime show "Willing Willie."
We are also appalled at perpetrator Revillame's reaction of filing libel charges against credible people like our fellow cultural worker John Silva, who wrote an open letter addressed to Mr. Manny V. Pangilinan, head of television network TV-5, where "Willing Willie" is shown, and National Social Scientist Lourdes "Honey" Carandang whose expertise as a clinical psychologist was brought to bear on the case in assessing the damage done to the child.
Dr. Carandang is a rightful protector of children. She has spent much of her life teaching generations of students how to protect the Filipino family. Upon her retirement from the academe, she put up an institute that promotes the cause of women and children living under stressful conditions. Janjan and his parents are no exemptions from Dr. Carandang's upholding of the rights of children as people.
In his blog, Mr. Silva mentions what Revillame represents: "74 women and children trampled to death on his dangling-money TV show. Or him sneering at President Corazon Aquino’s funeral. Or now, making a little boy cry while coaxing him to macho dance. "
Recently, Mr. Silva has written another open letter, this time addressed to businessman Ben Chan of Bench, for hiring Revillame to endorse a new cologne and putting up a billboard along EDSA with Revillame's face: "…(Y)ou’ve decided to cast your sales fate with a guy riddled in scandal and whose show has been slammed by the country’s social welfare department and Human Rights Commission as having committed serious child abuse."
In his blog, and the Church Café members agree with him on this point, Mr. Silva notes that "no matter how much you’ll spray his cologne on that set, we have the abused crying Janjan on YouTube and on rerun and the smell of sleaze isn’t going away soon. Why don’t you just realize the serious pickle your company is in and withdraw your support for the slimiest show in the world? You must have some smarts to make money elsewhere without having to use bullies that abuse boys."
Mr. Silva challenges the clothing and perfumery magnate: "Ben, listen: MACHO DANCING IS PROSTITUTION WITH A DANCE BEAT. And in our country with pedophilia around, it’s bad enough that a boy, somewhere at this very moment, is actually doing the dance FOR REAL. What’s the point simulating it on national TV? To make more call boys? Is that your company strategy of what the youth market should be? See how low your empire has stooped to for the bucks?"
Church Café is profoundly saddened by a country apparently suffering from a low self-esteem. This national self-esteem has fallen into an abysmal low that many of our people have forgotten the dignity inherent in hard work. At the hint of a few thousand pesos being dangled in front of their faces, they tumble, roll, split on the studio floor, crush balloons with their asses, dance provocatively on national TV, bare their souls and personal tragedies in order to be made fun of.
Luis V. Teodoro, a respected columnist of Business World, thinks that Revillame can never be a legitimate member of the press whose freedom of expression is being curtailed by the public censure and advertising boycott his show is suffering from.
Teodoro points out, and Church Café again agrees, that "not by any stretch of the imagination is Revillame part of the press. He belongs instead to the nether world of TV entertainment and noon-time shows, where professional standards and ethics are unheard of and/or habitually ignored…While press freedom is therefore not at issue, we can grant that free expression -- specifically Revillame’s--is. Is Revillame’s right to free expression then under threat from the public demand that his advertisers withdraw from his program?
"It isn’t: what’s under threat is his abuse of that freedom, to the extent of doing harm not only to such individuals as the six-year-old whose exploitation he encouraged and abetted, but also to Philippine society, to whose debasement programs such as his contribute via the long reach of television. Society can--in fact, it should--hold Revillame to account for both offenses. All forms of free expression are subject to public accountability. As precious as it is, the exercise of press freedom… is, by common agreement and the consent of practitioners themselves, subject to scrutiny and censure. Any editorial writer, columnist or reporter can be held to account for bias and inaccuracy, doing harm to the subjects of a report, subjecting them to ridicule, stereotyping them or encouraging discrimination against vulnerable groups..."
Teodoro concludes, "The decision of Revillame’s sponsors to withdraw their ads is a right they’re exercising in behalf of the public’s call for accountability…But will the withdrawal of Revillame’s sponsors in behalf of the public clamor against Revillame’s abuse of his right to free expression set a precedent? One hopes that it will--and it should, toward the making of a discerning public able to distinguish between authentic public service and mere self-indulgence, trickery, and deceit."
Church Café believes that radio-television networks and producers like TV-5, ABS-CBN, where Revillame originally came from, and GMA-7 and traditional print media like tabloids are just as, or even more, guilty than Revillame for allowing this kultura ng pera to prosper at the expense of a country's moral backbone.
Here we are, supposedly the only country in Southeast Asia with a Christian majority, and yet, our leaders are helpless in turning a powerful medium like TV around so it can educate and ennoble our citizens.
The advertising revenues that fuel inane programs that capitalize on the scandals in the lives of celebrities or the absurd lows the poor are made to stoop to for a few thousand pesos can already get the country's development program going.
Our movie and TV celebrities can use their fame to endorse worthy causes like education on our national heritage or the universal vaccination of children, the raising and eating of organically grown fruits, vegetables and livestock rather than promoting the consumption of processed food.
We call on the advertising industry to pour more funds on efforts to improve the environment like recycling at the home and barangay levels, waste management contests, planting and nurturing of trees.
The Philippines is primarily an agricultural country. We reiterate the call for more advertising funds and media support to go to meaningful community development projects like Sloping Agricultural Land Technology for provinces blessed with hills and mountains but deforested by heartless loggers and clueless kaingeros.
Church Café is made up of cultural workers with their individual advocacies, among them, the promotion of our national heritage, art and music education for all, early childhood development through overall health and sound nutrition of mother and child, safeguarding the well-being of honest-to-goodness writers and artists who have contributed much to the growth of national pride.
We stand firmly behind the Philippine law that states, "Every child has the right to a wholesome family life that will provide him/her with love, care and understanding, guidance and counseling and moral and material security." Our laws are also emphatic about what is physical and psychological violence, the abuse, exploitation and maltreatment of children.
Let us continue to be watchful of mass media. By its easy availability and capability in molding minds and shaping opinions, media is accountable to these children and to the future of our nation. What we all do with these innocents speaks volumes about us as a people.
Please keep up the pressure on our government by writing on their websites or on their Facebook accounts, by sending them e-mail messages to let them know we are watching and that we support the full application of Republic Act 7610.
Signed:
Bernie Aquino
Simoun Balboa
Aba Lluch Dalena
Imelda Cajipe Endaya
Simplicio Endaya
Linda Hallili
Pambie Herrera
Fred Liongoren
Norma Liongoren
Jenny Romero Llaguno
Julie Lluch
Elizabeth Lolarga
Fe Mangahas
Rogelio Mangahas
Alma Cruz Miclat
Chester Ocampo
Letty Paler
Pablo Baens Santos
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