Dick Gordon versus Martin Cervantes

Have you heard of this “feud” between the Philippine National Red Cross Chairman Sen. Dick Gordon and Ayala Land, Inc employee Martin Cervantes? I am not even sure if you can call that a feud, but here’s what I know based on emails and some research I got from the net:

• Martin Cervantes wrote a blog about his experience during a volunteer work in Quezon City. Apparently, relief goods were not distributed on time because PNRC staff told the volunteers (Cervantes is one of them) that it is a protocol for any operations to wait for the Chairman because he still needs to deliver a speech or something.
• Cervantes blogged about this saying Sen. Gordon is using the agency to further his political agenda even during a time like this (Ondoy). The news spread throughout the Internet through emails, Facebook, blogs, etc.
• The blog of course reached Sen. Gordon, and while I cannot find an actual statement from Sen. Gordon’s office, I believe an explanation was made saying that Senator did not make any order to postpone the distribution, nor was there a protocol stopping them from distributing the goods.
• A few days after that, Cervantes issued a public apology and many blogs, according to one of the forums I usually visit, were deleted. I can only guess this is due to a request from Cervantes.

Okay, those are what I know. And here’s what I think:

Cervantes made a blow-by-blow account of what happened, not of what he thought is happening. There were some emotional statements, but they are mostly statements of events, of facts. And according to his blog, PNRC staff said they have to wait before goods are distributed as the Senator is going to deliver a speech. Cervantes did not say, “I think the PNRC staff said something like this….” Cervantes said, and I quote here:

…we were informed by one of the PRC staff on site, we couldn’t give out the goods yet because “protocol” dictates that the PRC chair….Mr. Dick Gordon was going to visit and deliver some sort of speech or at least hand out the goods. We were infomed by a certain Ms. Torres that this was how it goes…

I think this is from Cervantes

Now, after a couple of days, he apologized. When I read the apology, it did not contain any sincerity at all! He ended his apology saying:

I am sincerely sorry for the whole fiasco, it was not my intention to present it that way. (Got the whole text from here: http://www.juancountry.com/senator-dick-gordon-under-fire-on-facebook/)

Wow. How pretentious can you get?! This is what I think happened: He was pressured to issue an apology. Whether it is from his employer or Sen. Gordon, or both, I do not know. But in his apology, he did not say he was mistaken. And he says he is sincere? He should have said he is sorry because he is wrong, not because names were dragged, or some unnecessary fiasco was created by his blog.

Two things:

1. Either his freedom of expression is being curtailed (courtesy of Ayala Land, Inc or Sen. Gordon), or
2. He is really wrong but is so embarrassed to admit that he indeed is wrong.

Either way, something should be done here. I hope either he stands by his right to freedom of expression, or be courageous enough to accept the consequences of his irresponsibility, i.e., apologize because HE IS WRONG or HE LIED.

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