GMA did an "impromptu interview" with Mike Enriquez yesterday

UPDATED: Scroll down.

PCIJ blog thinks it's GMA doing "damage control" after the "press conference" incident yesterday.

Enriquez got to raise some of those unasked questions:

On whether Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano was the election official she had asked to "protect her votes," referring to her apology to the nation on June 27, the President said her lawyers advised her not to comment on the matter. She also said she had no information on Garcillano’s whereabouts.

On the possibility of having her term of office cut short: "I am the duly elected President. My terms ends in 2010. This is my position."

On her reaction to the drop in her ratings in various surveys: "That’s the presidential system. You have a fixed term. The good thing is you’re able to institute unpopular reforms because that’s the system. And the reforms we’ve been initiating have been unpopular. Add to this severe trial by publicity…."

I think what GMA's Press Office did was to collect all the question from the reporters during the "press conference" and let GMA only answer those questions that she came prepared for that day (charter change, SONA and other "soft issues.") That's part one.

The second part is about answering all the remaining questions that Arroyo refused to answer in the "press conference."

(Why didn't she tackle the more difficult questions at the presscon? Probably because she was unprepared for those questions at that time and doesn't have her trusty teleprompter with her. And she's afraid of committing a gaffe. If they've only seen the movie "Quiz Show"...)

Yung mga kinolektang tanong ni Bunye na hindi sinagot ni GMA sa "press conference" niya ay ibinigay kaagad sa mga lawyers at spinmasters ni Arroyo para pag-aralan, and provide GMA with "prepared answers" the following day for her scheduled "interview".

Sa lahat ng mga media na humihingi ng interview kay Arroyo, they selected pro-Arroyo "journalist" Mike Enriquez to do honors. Natch.

He gets to "ask" the questions that Arroyo refused to answer during the live "press conference", and GMA parrots the "scripted answers" that her lawyers provided her.

Scripted "press conference". Scripted "interview".

(Maybe the Bush White House can learn a thing or two re how the Arroyo admin manipulates the media. Talong-talo ang Bush admin sa kanila. LOL.)

So I kinda disagree with PCIJ blog. What GMA did yesterday with Mike "ilong" Enriquez was not really "damage control", kasi they were planning the "interview" after the "press conference" all along.

Everything's scripted now for Arroyo. ;)

Abante lists down some of the questions na na-censor during arroyo's "press conference".

Ilan sa mga ‘na-censor’ na tanong, kabilang ang tanong ng Abante, ay ang mga sumusunod:

1. Sino ang Comelec official na inamin n’yo na kausap n’yo noong nakaraang eleksyon?

2. Ang pagtatayo ng Truth Commission ay ‘front’ lang daw upang takpan ang tunay na isyu ng pandaraya noong nakaraang eleksyon?

3. How damaging is the current political crisis to your administration? What lessons have you learned?

4. Sinasabotahe daw ng palace ang impeachment proceedings?

5. Malacañang behind move to oust Drilon as Senate President, bina-back-up daw si (Sen.) Miriam (Defensor-Santiago) bilang kapalit?

6. Hyatt 10 magte-testify laban sa inyo sa impeachment?

7. Are you in favor na referendum muna bago ChaCha?

8. Comment on negative surveys?

9. Birthday wish for Susan (Roces)? Is the door of reconciliation still open for her?

10. Would you still accept former allies from Hyatt 10?

11. How’s FG, Mikey? Comment on Sandra Cam’s implication involving you (GMA) on jueteng?

12. How confident are you that you will last your term given the current political situation?

UPDATE: It's like taking a peek at the test paper and knowing all the questions one day in advance before take a Final Exam. Daya yan.

If she wanted to look credible, she should have answered the difficult questions right there during the press conference, and not a day after.

Yes, medyo unpredictable and sometimes mahirap sagutin ang mga questions ng local media at foreign press lalo na kapag hindi ka prepared, but at least the public will know that the event is not scripted and you got no overnight coaching or tutoring form your lawyers and spinners on how to answer the "censored questions" the following day for your "interview" with Mike Enriquez.

Ninez comments on GMA's TV appearance:

Even when Gloria gave that Channel 7 interview two nights ago, where questions on the Garci tape issue, his going missing, the charges of jueteng, her comment on whether she would be willing to have her term cut short, reactions to Susan Roces' statements as well as the political opposition, she again adverted to her Sona spiel and her usual, she has been counseled by her lawyers not to reply to issues related to that of the impeachment charges, her push for Cha-cha being old hat, her trial by publicity and her appeal to respect her and her wish still being for unity and reconciliation for a united Philippines.

That TV interview, sorry to say, was just as controlled and much too careful on the part of the anchor, in the sense that he didn't press on with the questions, even as the topic was already opened. Why not?

So who needs such crappy answers for the news?

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