The Discayas: An inspirational tale or a ‘rob-to-riches’ story?

If there is one good thing to come out of that fairy tale treatment of the Discayas’ so-called “rags-to-riches” story, it’s that it triggered a reexamination of professional ethics among journalists, which, while long overdue, has been such a breath of fresh air. As they say, it’s better late than never.

I refuse to look down on the press and strongly disagree with those who are quick to judge and condemn the whole profession itself as having lost its moral compass. On the contrary, it shows that idealism is alive and well within the ranks with the way that the majority of journalists made it clear they are distancing themselves from two famous colleagues embroiled in the accidental exposé on the unprecedented corruption at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) through the revelations of the Discayas.

Save for one veteran news reporter who came to their rescue, the majority of journalists, by and large, chose to either keep mum or look at the raging controversy from a different angle, refusing to align with the two interviewers of the Discayas. The silence of the majority speaks volumes. Journalists in this country are extremely protective of their kind; at times, they can be as vicious as a pack of wolves in going after the enemy if one of them is wronged, but not this time, and they should be commended.

That most journalists chose to be unsupportive, even silent to some extent, is their loudest indictment of their two colleagues who tried to make heroes and inspirations of the Discayas. More than anything else, the majority chose to be silent, not because they condone the misdeeds of two of their colleagues, but because out of respect, nobody wants to aggravate their fall from grace. However, it’s too much to expect the press to rally behind them. The media knew better than to believe that the city mayor who blew the whistle was their enemy and to turn against him. He is recognized as one of the few good men fighting to stay clean in the political mud pit.

The same can’t be said of the two interviewers of the Discayas. For all their fame and their money, they do not by any means represent the Philippine press. On the contrary, the honest journalists would be hard-pressed to identify with them after what they did—the shameful storytelling and the attempt to defend it afterward as nothing more than a harmless lifestyle story intended to impart a message and inspire people that anyone can rise from rags to riches. The problem is no one is willing to be fooled by this explanation, especially since the Discayas were proud to say on camera that all those luxury cars, the palatial mansion, and millions in the bank were bought when they became employees at the DPWH. Is this really rags to riches or “rob to riches”?

One could only wonder and feel bad about the what-ifs and the what-could-have-beens. The Discayas’ revelations could have been the story of a lifetime, something much more meaningful to journalists than a scoop for front-page news, but a chance to serve this country, which many Filipinos, journalist or not, have died trying to do. Professional intuition and years of practice would enable newshounds to sense the slightest whiff of corruption, drive them to trail the scent to the ends of the earth, and bark out loud when the time is right for the whole world to hear the truth. Somehow, the Discayas’ story was sanitized, glamorized, and told like an inspirational tale by the very people who betrayed their oath to tell the truth. We don’t know why, but there must be 10 million reasons that only they would know.

Adel B. Abillar,
atty.adel@gmail.com