A Facebook user’s post about how CNN Philippines was bashed for its report about how Aetas in Cagayan struggled for food and shelter after Typhoon Lawin went viral, having been shared over 3,500 times.
Kevin Jerome Bata took screenshots of what he called as “cancer-inducing comments” from President Rodriggo Duterte’s supporters who slammed CNN PH for being biased.
He entitled his post, “WARNING: MIGHT CAUSE CANCER.”
Before this news report about the Aetas, Duterte’s supporters basically considered CNN PH for remaining unbiased, unlike the other news outlets in the country. But this seemed to have changed now.
This is what CNN PH’s report is about Cagayan’s Aetas:
Aetas struggle for food, shelter after Lawin https://t.co/sDo55hwVGt pic.twitter.com/h2WpdqNeFS
— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) October 24, 2016
According to the report, the Aetas walked eight hours from their homes in the Sierra Madre Mountains for fear of dying from hunger after they survived Lawin. They sought temporary shelter in Peñablanca, Cagayan.
During the interview, the Aetas grew emotional while recalling their experience during Lawin, which washed away their houses and crops, leaving them with nothing.
Gawad Kalinga gave them relief packs for a few meals.
The Lawin survivors said they need safe drinking water and construction materials to rebuild their homes. They wished the government and kind-hearted groups would hear their pleas.
One of the notable comments, which you can still find in CNN PH’s post about the Aetas, even called the report “false news” and how Lawin is a “blessing” to them, something which was criticized by other netizens.
Another threatened CNN PH that they will go “down the drain,” just like Rappler.
Someone also asked why CNN PH did not help, even calling the reporter “stupid.”
And the news report was even accused of being “politically motivated.”
CNN PH was also confronted for not reporting about the other places hit by Lawin.
Conspiracy theories are bound to come out, like this one commenter talking about how CNN is expected to report anything bad about Duterte because it is a “US company.”
But as the other netizens who replied to her comment have pointed out, CNN PH is just doing its job of reporting “news,” which should let the government and everyone else know about what the Aetas were going through after the typhoon.
Here are the viral screenshots of the bashing against CNN:
CNN PH’s post about the Aetas is still up, if you want to see more comments at the risk of also reading the “cancer-inducing comments” that Bata was talking about.
Sources: (twitter.com, facebook.com, facebook.com/CNNPhilippines)
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