By RAMPADOR ALINDOG
Actress-politician Aiko Melendez is making waves online after netizens speculated that her recent post about responsible journalism may have been a subtle swipe at veteran broadcaster Ces Drilon.
The discussion started after Aiko shared a lengthy Facebook post highlighting her educational background and the importance of ethics in journalism, a topic many fans quickly connected to the controversial interview recently conducted by Ces Drilon with Atty. Jimmy Bondoc, legal counsel of Senator Bato dela Rosa.
“People often ask me what course I finished in college. I graduated with a degree in Communication Arts major in Journalism from Philippine Women’s University,” Aiko wrote.
She went on to emphasize the values she learned from studying journalism, saying she still carries the lessons of “responsible communication and proper journalism” up to this day.
“One important lesson I learned is that when interviewing someone or making a case study, an interviewer should never be biased. Personal opinions and personal feelings must be set aside,” Aiko explained.
The Quezon City councilor also stressed the importance of objectivity, fairness, accountability, truth, and respect in media practice.
“As journalists and communicators, our responsibility is to listen objectively, ask the right questions, and give our guests the chance to fully expound and share their side,” she added.
Aiko further stated that people should avoid judging others before hearing their side completely.
“Hindi dapat inuunahan ng judgment ang kwento ng isang tao. Every individual deserves to be heard fairly and respectfully before conclusions are made,” she wrote.
Because of the timing of her post, many netizens quickly speculated that Aiko was indirectly referring to Ces and the backlash surrounding the journalist’s recent interview.
Some fans pointed out that Aiko’s remarks about bias, fairness, and responsible interviewing appeared too timely to be a coincidence.
However, Aiko later denied that she was targeting anyone specifically.
“Huwag na po nating isama ang DDS, Pinklawan, o anumang kulay. I was simply basing my explanation on what I learned and what we were taught. General observation lamang po ito,” she clarified in the comments section.
But is it?
