NUJP hits CamSur bet who cried ‘fake news’ after losing in campus poll
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) called out Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund “Lray” Villafuerte Jr. for accusing a school publication of peddling “fake news” after it conducted a survey and found him trailing as a candidate in the gubernatorial race.
“Villafuerte is free to disagree with the results of the mock elections conducted by Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges official student publication The Spark, but posting a staffer’s name and photo, knowing this makes them a target for his supporters, is beyond the pale,” the group said in a statement on Tuesday.
“While the Villafuerte name may be on a CSPC building, the family does not own the school, much less its community,” it added.
The NUJP condemned the “vulgar display of power and patronage” shown by the lawmaker and urged media colleagues in Camarines Sur and in the Bicol region “to stand with the campus press.”
The survey showed Villafuerte lagging behind his rival, Bong Rodriguez, a former regional campaign manager of former Vice President Leni Robredo.
‘Not scientific’
According to the results posted on The Spark’s Facebook page last week, Rodriguez had 214 votes or 43 percent of the respondents, while Villafuerte got 150 votes or 30.1 percent.
The congressman branded the survey as “fake news.”
“There is a fake survey being spread around, allegedly over 500 [students were surveyed] from Camarines Sur Polytechnic University in Nabua, when the enrolled students are over 14,000,” Villafuerte said in a post also on Facebook.
“We know that this pig survey, which would interview just anyone, is not scientific and objective. They would haphazardly release a fake survey and fake results,” he added.
The lawmaker also lashed out at The Spark’s associate editor, who he said was a Robredo supporter based on one of his Facebook photos, accusing the student of being “biased” and working with Rodriguez to spread “propaganda.”
He said it was “obvious” that the editor and the publication were “favoring someone, because the contributions of the Villafuerte family to CSPC were never… publicized or mentioned (by The Spark),’’ he said in another post.
Villafuerte cited his family’s contributions to CSPC, such as those made during the time of his late father, then Camarines Sur Gov. Luis R. Villafuerte Sr., like scholarships and the construction of most of its school buildings.
For the NUJP, Villafuerte’s “online and official tantrum” was a “reminder of what journalists face during elections and a disgusting illustration of how comfortable entrenched power is with pressuring the press.”
Spark stands ground
In defense of its survey, The Spark said it accepted votes only from respondents with verified CSPC student numbers, and that the Google form used was accessible only by those with CSPC emails. It added that out of the 548 respondents, only the 498 students from Camarines Sur were given the choice to pick their gubernatorial bet.
The Spark also condemned the “shameful attack” on its associate editor, Fernan Enimendez, and his family.
“This attempt to discredit and tarnish the name of our staff is not only unethical but a direct violation of his rights as a Filipino,” it said.
Admin: No to suppression
The CSPC administration earlier explained that the survey was done solely by The Spark and that it was “not consulted nor involved in its conduct or publication.”
In a Facebook post on Feb. 7, the CSPC said the survey results “represented a very small position of CSPC’s student population,” and were “neither comprehensive nor reflective of the sentiments of the entire student body.”
But on Monday, Feb. 10, the school said it “firmly stands against any form of suppression, harassment, or retaliation directed at student journalists who responsibly exercise their rights.”
“(CSPC) believes that a free press is vital to building a progressive and informed academic environment” and “is actively coordinating with relevant authorities and stakeholders to address concerns arising from the issue to protect the rights and security of our students.”
