Lawmaker calls for PNA editors' dismissal over blunders

A lawmaker on Sunday called for the dismissal of editors involved in the recent blunders by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

“Communications Secretary Martin Andanar should fire the editors responsible for the erroneous news posted by the PNA if only to serve notice that this pattern of embarrassment is not tolerated,” Eastern Samar Representative Ben Evardone said in a statement.

The PNA, the government's web-based news service, is under the Presidential Communications Operations Office, which Andanar leads.

Evardone's statement came after the PNA used the logo of food company Dole as the thumbnail of an announcing the government's pay rules for non-working holidays in 2018.

The PNA management has since issued an erratum for the blunder, and apologized for what it called "a careless act of the PNA editorial staff."

Andanar on Saturday said his office is already looking into the incident.

The PNA also recently posted an opinion piece of China's Xinhua News Agency regarding the arbitration ruling on the West Philippine Sea.

Evardone also cited the erroneous news item that the PNA posted last May, stating that the Philippines was commended for its improved human rights situation by 95 out of 105 nations at the United Nations' Human Right Council during its universal periodic review.

Also in the same month, the state-run news agency posted an article about the Marawi City conflict using a photo from the Vietnam war.

Evardone stressed that the PNA, as the government's news website, should provide accurate information to the public.

"Whatever it posts reflects on the government,” he said.

SOURCE: ALG, GMA News Online