Kris Aquino Defends PNoy

Kris Aquino on Monday night broke her silence over her brother's criticism of ABS-CBN News anchor Noli "Kabayan" de Castro and other Filipino journalists during the 25th anniversary party of "TV Patrol." 

Kris Aquino, the younger sister of President Benigno "PNoy" Aquino, who happens to be Noli De Castro's co-employee at ABS-CBN, tweet her answer to a twitter user who said that you never attack media back.


Here are the screen captures of the said Twitter conversation:

 

She said she is careful in commenting about the issue. "Prayed before I replied to make sure I don't tweet the wrong thing. My issues are so trivial in comparison to PNoy," Kris said. 

 "PNoy is our president and I do believe the majority of our people feel he's doing a great job. Maybe he just like anybody else," she added.

Kris said on Twitter that her brother has the right to defend himself and express his opinion. Freedom of speech is a 2-way street right? quips Kris Aquino on Twitter.

Her brother on Friday night lashed out at de Castro and Philippine media for alleged bias toward negative news reports. Aquino, in his speech at the 25th anniversary celebration of TV Patrol at the Manila Hotel, said he wants a positive spin in news stories and commentaries from ABS-CBN's flagship primetime news broadcast.

The president specifically vented his ire on de Castro, a veteran TV Patrol anchor and former a vice president of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, for allegedly belitting the gains made by his administration with regard to the sorry state of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1.

Aquino also said he was unhappy over criticisms on TV Patrol regarding the National Bureau of Investigation's recovery of a kidnapped child last June 26. 

"May naitutulong po ba ang mga walang-basehang spekulasyon, lalo na kung lumalabas ka sa telebisyon at sinusubaybayan ng sambayanan? Kung nagbabangkaaan lang tayo sa kanto, hindi problema ang mga walang-basehang patutsada. Pero kung alam mong opinion maker ka, alam mo rin dapat na meron kang responsibilidad. Sana po, sa tuwing sasabihin nating 'magandang gabi, bayan,' ay totoong hinahangad nating maging maganda ang gabi ng bayan," he said.

De Castro has yet to comment on Aquino's statements. Ging Reyes, head of ABS-CBN's News and Current Affairs Division (NCAD), said: "Criticism is not a monopoly of journalists and media practitioners. The President had as much right to free speech as every citizen. Ang aming mga mamahayag ay may editorial independence, o kalayaan sa kanilang pagkalap ng balita at paglalahad ng istorya," Reyes said on TV Patrol Monday. "Ito ang pundasyon ng kredibilidad. Sa mga pagkakataong kinukwestyon ang aming pagiging patas at balanse, mayroon kaming sistema para tugunan ang ganitong reklamo ng manonood," she added.

Source: ABS-CBN News