“Commentary 1 (10 June 20130  ‘Pugad Baboy’ Lesbian Joke in Philippine Daily Inquirer “

by TDP (student)

“Last 4 June, the famed comic strip “Pugad Baboy” of the Philippine Daliy Inquirer received backlash online for implying the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church. The comic strip notes that while the Church is actively against homosexuality, all-girl Catholic schools in the country, under the tutelage of nuns, lay host to lesbians and perhaps even ‘condone lesbianism’ in the long run. As of late, the comic strip has been suspended and is currently under investigation.

“On the subject of ethics, according to the “Philippine Journalist’s Code of Ethics” of the Philippine Press Institute, journalists must “[take] care not to suppress essential facts nor to distort the truth by omission or improper emphasis”. Given that the comic strip names a private school as an example and makes use of catch-all phrases such as “you will not see a beautiful student without a girlfriend” to assert its claim, it is not at all surprising that certain conservative interest groups would find offense in the abovementioned strip. Furthermore, the PPI states that it is the duty of the journalist to “air the other side” at all times, whereas the comic strip only offers one perspective on the matter.

“However, one must always take into consideration the character and ‘voice’ of the publication. Given the nature of “Pugad Baboy” as a comic strip and one that presumably provides, as its name implies, comic relief, the strip is intended for entertainment. As Pernia notes, however, while it is unclear whether or not ethical lines have truly been crossed, it is safe to assume that certain groups have been offended. In the end, to a reasonably prudent individual, it is therefore more plausible to conclude that perhaps the comic strip had been written more in poor taste than unethically, if anything.” Written by TDP