Janet Lim-Napoles hospital arrest: Guide for male reporters
News directors should inform their male reporters that the uterus (in Filipino: matris or matres) is different from the ovaries so that they would not cause confusion when they are covering the impending temporary hospital arrest of pork barrel queen Janet Lim-Napoles. Magkaiba po ang uterus sa ovaries. Women who have access to health care and get annual diagnostics know this. Apparently, male reporters think those are all one bunch or one basket. The distinction is significant because uterine tumors, called myomas, if non-symptomatic, are benign in 99 out of 100 cases; symptomatic ovarian cysts on the other hand raise some concern from your ob-gynecologist. “Symptomatic” means there is bleeding outsideof the menstrual days, another is abdominal pain, and still another is a dramatic increase in the size of the cyst or tumor – dramatic increase is 50% or more increase in size in three months or so. GMA 7 news anchor Kara David asked the right question when she posed this to the spot reporter (another male reporter): “Ngayonlang ba nakita na may cyst siya o noon pa niya iniinda iyan” (translation: “Has she had the cyst for quite sometime or was it discovered only recently?”). As I said, women who have access to health care know these things. Of course, as expected, none of the male reporters who were there in Camp Crame covering Janet Lim-Napoles knew the right questions to ask of the attending physician and the ob-gynecologists even if they had a chance during the medical briefing. The question from Kara David is significant — if the cyst has been there for a year or more and it is the same in size or with only an insignificant increase in size, it is what doctors call “not remarkable”. In all your medical diagnostics, if you get a “not remarkable”, it doesn’t mean you’re in poor health; on the contrary, it means “normal” or good — everytime you get a “not remarkable” in your medical exam, you should jump for joy then put your palms together in thankful prayer that you’re always in the clear. Compared to most women in this country who do not have access to health care and who are so marginalized that they are not even able to buy a toothbrush for themselves because they use the few pesos they have to buy noodles for their children, Janet Lim-Napoles should consider herself fortunate that she has access to world-class medical care. We all wish her to be in the best of health so that justice, not just poetic justice, could be served.
Pertinent laws on disclosure of the SALN (Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Networth)
Part One (sowee, because i wake up at the same hour regardless of everything — have been advised by the health consultant to be asleep by 11am; can’t always comply but i try, don’t ask why because you’ll get a bye-bye; ta-tah, i’ll finish this in the next post)
If a reporter asks for access to the SALN (to look at, or to view and to photocopy at his/her own expense) of a public official; and is refused, is there anyone liable for such refusal? Who would be liable?
The following are the pertinent provisions:
The Constitution:
“Art. XI, Section 17. A public officer or employee shall, upon assumption of office and as often thereafter as may be required by law, submit a declaration under oath of his assets, liabilities, and net worth. In the case of the President, the Vice-President, the Members of the Cabinet, the Congress, the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Commissions and other constitutional offices, and officers of the armed forces with general or flag rank, the declaration shall be disclosed to the public in the manner provided by law” (Underscoring supplied. Article XI, Section 17, 1987 Constitution).
“(I)n the manner provided by law….” refers to the following requirements laid down by law:
Republic Act 6713, Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees:
“Section 8. Statements and Disclosure. – Public officials and employees have an obligation to accomplish and submit declarations under oath of, and the public has the right to know, their assets, liabilities, net worth and financial and business interests including those of their spouses and of unmarried children under eighteen (18) years of age living in their households.”
Republic Act 6713, Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees:
The Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act of the Philippines, as follows:
“Section 7. Statement of Assets and Liabilities. – Every public officer, within thirty days after assuming office and, thereafter, on or before the fifteenth day of April following the close of every calendar year, as well as upon the expiration of his term of office, or upon his resignation or separation from office, shall prepare and file with the office of the corresponding Department Head, or in the case of a Head of Department or Chief of an independent office, with the Office of the President, a true detailed and sworn statement of assets and liabilities, including a statement of the amounts and sources of his income, the amounts of his personal and family expenses and the amount of income taxes paid for the next preceding calendar year; xxx….”(Section 7, Republic Act 3019, as amended, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act of the Philippines, as amended by RA 3047, PD 677 and PD 1288, January 24, 1978)
[TO BE CONTINUED. zzzzzzz(pretending to sleep for the health consultant)]
