PCIJ vs. PCIJ Part II

Only a few publications are now willing to run the irresponsible and mercenary journalism of PCIJ, namely Pinoy Times, a tabloid of very limited circulation owned by Eggie Apostol, former owner of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the Philippine Star owned by Max Soliven and opposition Rep. Sonny Belmonte, the Business World because of PCIJ co-founder Jose Galang, the Manila Standard which is owned by the American Sorianos and their partner Ricky Razon, and every now and then, the Sun Manila, also of very limited circulation.

Pinoy Times will continue to run the PCIJ because the publisher, Vicente G. Tirol is a card-bearing member and co-founder of PCIJ. This may, however, result in the resignation of Chit Estella, editor-in-chief and Booma Cruz, managing editor, as the two were victims of PCIJ's Malou Mangahas during their short and tumultuous stint at the Manila Times.

Already Chit and Booma are looking for jobs elsewhere to avoid being used again by the PCIJ. (See PCIJ vs. PCIJ Part I)

The Philippine Star may also selectively use PCIJ stories because the schemer Max Soliven, who was able to acquire majority shares in the Star during the time of Betty Go-Belmonte, is a Lucio Tan puppet, being the publisher of Mabuhay, the in-flight magazine of the Philippine Air Lines. One call from Lucio Tan and Soliven crumbles immediately.

Soliven needs the Mabuhay magazine so that he can travel around the world 24 times a year with his secretary cum mistress and spend most of the year away from his wife.

The Sun Star will occasionally use PCIJ stories as long as they are critical of President Estrada. Sun Star Manila is owned by former Secretary Sebastian Garcia and former President Fidel V. Ramos. Ramos was also a victim of PCIJ during his incumbency (See PCIJ vs. PCIJ Part I). Otherwise, sorry na lang and PCIJ.

At the Inquirer, the presence of three columnists is being currently reviewed by management. Columnist Solita Monsod, who also writes for Pinoy Times, is a PCIJ supporter and sympathizer. She immediately went into the defense of PCIJ when the Inquirer wrote its stand on the PCIJ bullying tactics. Also being watched is de Quiros who also was very sympathetic with PCIJ despite the Inquirer position. De Quiros is a member of PCIJ.

Channel 7 is not using the PCIJ story. Only Che-che Lazaro is using the PCIJ stories because she and Malou are deriving profits from the PCIJ exposes. Che-che Lazaro is dirtiest among the female broadcasters because she exacts all-expense paid foreign travels from her sources.

Also not using the PCIJ stories are the Manila Bulletin, the Malaya, the Philippine Post, the Manila Times and the Journal Publications. Today publisher Teddy Locsin is not impressed with the PCIJ people.

With out the major publications and the television stations supporting the PCIJ, all the money being poured by Don Jaime Zobel is just going to waste, well, not exactly because much of it goes straight to the bank account of Malou Mangahas and her cohorts at PCIJ. Don Jaime Zobel would rather spend the money on boys they say.

Don Jaime was fuming mad when he saw the first White Paper. He could not understand why such a secret could be leaked to the world, via internet pa.

His main man, ex-press undersecretary Danny Gozo, immediately ran to Philip Lustre with the offer to finance and reincarnate his Manila News & Features which has long disappeared from the market because the main benefactors, the Sorianos and the Department of Finance during the time of Undersecretary Bernardo, had stopped financing the pseudo news service.

The first assignment of Lustre is to defend Globe Telecom, owned by the Ayalas and at the same time discredit President Estrada. Soon, it will be asked to dig dirt about Lucio Tan, Andrew Gotianun, Fil-Estate, John Gokongwei, Emilio Yap, Henry Sy, Alfonso Yuchengco and Tan Yu, all of them representing the Chinese community that Don Jaime just hates.

Don Jaime approved the scheme brought to his lap by his lapdog, Danny Gozo. But no, the money was not coming by the millions. Piece by piece only, said Don Jaime. Twice Gozo had burned him already. First was the PCIJ. Second was the de Villa campaign where Gozo pocketed most of the money intended for the mass media in both instances. PCIJ was the clear winner.

When the first White Paper came out Malou was hesitant to visit the PCIJ office. Sheila Coronel couldn't believe what she read about Malou. Apparently she had been had.

Now the PCIJ members are asking for a strict and complete accounting of their money. The records are in disarray because all the grants and donations from Jaime Zobel and other personalities and institutions were hardly being recorded, or even being reported to them by Malou.

The PCIJ has also not reported to the Bureau of Internal Revenue the money coming from Zobel and other sources. It has also not reported its incomes to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The two agencies would rather keep quiet about the PCIJ lest they be attacked voraciously by Malou and her brat pack.

Even reporters covering the SEC cannot find the PCIJ records. The record section of the SEC says the PCIJ papers are kept in the SEC office somewhere in Novaliches, Quezon City to discourage anyone from looking for them. In addition, the PCIJ papers have been stamped "strictly confidential" by the SEC.

The estimate by Ayala insiders is that Don Jaime had spent nearly P50 million on Malou and the PCIJ. The amount includes expenses for travel, research and interviews, office space rental, equipment and maintenance.