One of the only few remaining bastions of old values and ethics in media today is Amante "Boy" Espejo Jr., Iloilo city hall information chief.
Everytime I played blitz chess with this uncrowned master, I learned not only the rudiments of Nimzo Indian, Pirc Defense and Queen's Gambit, but media values and ethics which Mr. Espejo has been espousing -- whether he was writing press releases, speeches and souvenir book messages (from the time of Mayor Tita Caram, Mayor Roding Ganzon, Mayor Mansing Malabor, Mayor Jerry Trenas, and now Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog) or acting as official chess arbiter in major tournaments.
"Media practitioners must be dignified not only the way they perform their duties and obligations but also the way they behave because people look up to them," Espejo once said. "Their manners and professionalism are important."
SPARED
Espejo, also a chess columnist, once observed that only sportswriters are spared from controversies and violence "because they don't dabble in political issues and are always respected by their readers." Material things, like money, can destroy a media practitioner if his values are not strong, warned Espejo.
Iloilo has the oldest press club in the Philippines. Ilonggos also take pride that they have Graciano Lopez-Jaena as role model and hero.
Lawyer and political science professor Pol Causing once declared that "Ilonggos are among the best journalists in the world" in terms of substance, ability and professionalism. "Only those who don't strictly adhere to the profession's code of ethics succumb to temptations of material want and have tarnished the profession."
MINDS
Among the best minds that have contributed in greatness of the Iloilo Press Club were Rex Drilon, political essayist and writer and first Filipino president of the Central Philippine University; Dean Alfredo Gonzalez, essayist and author of the "The Bamboo Flower"; Stevan Javellana, lawyer and winner of the Palanca Award in literature and author of "Without Seeing The Dawn," an English novel about World War II published abroad and serialized in television.
We also had Ike Villalobos, of the Manila Bulletin, and the precursor of "timawaism" under the leadership of the late senator Roding Ganzon when it was soaring high against the vested political and economic power; Rodolfo Claparols, Sr., historian and former tourism director of the Western Visayas. He was credited for restoring discipline, dignity and honor to the club, according to lawyer Ernie Dayot.
SYNTHESIS
The Iloilo Press Club is the synthesis of the old and the new values. In harmony, they are to blend and work for the benefit of the people. But if the old values are lost, no longer observed or honored, where shall the new values be salted, as spoken in the parable?
The old values in the press club are the verities of honesty, sincerity, discipline, dedication and love of the profession and not for monetary consideration.
The press club like any other enterprise thrives in the confidence and support of the people. It is an article of faith that every member must be like Caesar's wife--above suspicion and must abide to the highest standard of ethics and excellence.
"Give the people the light so that they can see," Rex Drilon once declared, making this battlecry as the motto of the Iloilo Press Club.
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