JEERS TO ABS-CBN 2′s Bandila for blatantly violating the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas’ (KBP) Broadcast Code of the Philippines and
the network’s own internal “Standards Ethics Manual” in a report about
an alleged ‘flesh-eating’ disease that the same report said was “slowly
spreading” (unti-unting kumakalat) in the province of Pangasinan.
The first of a two- part ABS-CBN special report tagged #MisteryosongSakitsaBandila aired 24 February 2014 reported two cases of people with supposedly ‘mysterious’ (misteryoso) “skin and flesh-eating” diseases.
Bandila’s anchor Julius Babao in his spiel prior to the report proper said, “Isang
misteryosong sakit ang unti-unting kumakalat ngayon sa Pangasinan,
isang sakit na tila umano’y kumakain ng balat at laman ng tao … (A mysterious disease is sloawly spreading in Pangasinan, a disease allegedly eating people’s skin and flesh)”
Bandila reporter Jasmin Romero was shown
wearing medical scrubs, mask and gloves while interviewing two patients
from the town of Sta Barbara and Villasis, Pangasinan. According to the
report, doctors could not tell what the patients’ ailments were.
Family members of the patients were interviewed. A
medical official was also interviewed about the condition of a patient
from Villasis town, who, among other statements, said the patient’s
ailment was not psoriasis.
Bandila’s report was deliberately
sensationalized, and the reporter did not interview any other source.
The result was panic among Netizens that spread to other people around
the country.
The story was in violation of ABS-CBN’s own “Standards
Ethics Manual” Responsibilities to the Public Sections, which declare
that the news must “(i) avoid needless pain and offense; (iv) Avoid
sensationalism and hype; (v.) Seek clear, unambiguous accounts of facts;
and, (vi) Be on alert for spin and other forms of media manipulation.”
The report also violates the KBP’s 2007 Broadcast Code
of the Philippines, Article 1 Section 9.c of which states that “The
presentation of news and commentaries must not be done in a way that
would create unnecessary panic or alarm.”
Hours after the report was aired, Netizens began sharing
pictures of different bacterial skin diseases on Facebook, and the
issue soon trended on Twitter.
Some Netizens connected the report to a so-called
“prophecy” by a self-proclaimed Indian prophet from the Voice of Jesus
Ministry last April 2013, who said that a flesh-eating disease will
originate from Pangasinan and will spread around the world. The same
“prophet” was said to have predicted that a typhoon would devastate
Samar and Leyte, which some Netizens interpreted as having been
validated by super typhoon Yolanda’s smashing into the Visayas last
November. Videos of the said “prophecy” had begun to surface over
YouTube last year after typhoon Yolanda hit.
The Department of Health (DOH) later said that the
report was a hoax. The provincial health officer and the Secretary of
Health said that the two patients do not have a mysterious disease, and
that one has psoriasis, while the other has leprosy. Health
Undersecretary Teodoro Herbosa added that “responsible journalism is
important” so as not to spread panic.
Part two of the Bandila special report was supposed to
connect the story to the “prophecy,” with interviews from medical
experts and religious organizations on the coming of the “flesh-eating
disease.” But it was never aired, apparently because of the DOH
disclaimer.
ABS-CBN did not acknowledge its mistake—if mistake it
was and not deliberate sensationalism. Instead Bandila anchor Julius
Babao on February 25 claimed that the program did not mean to scare the
public, but was just reporting.
Article 5 of the KBP 2007 Broadcast Code of the
Philippines states that “When a mistake has been broadcast, it must be
acknowledged and rectified as soon as possible by stating the mistake
and making corrections.”
