|
By Alito L. Malinao
The National Press Club, the biggest and oldest
organization of Filipino media practitioners founded on Oct. 29,
1952, will hold its biennial elections on May 4.
Five executive positions and 10 board seats are
being contested by two groups. One group, the Balik-NPC Movement, is
led by Roman Floresca, associate business editor of The Philippine
Star while the other group, the Press Freedom Party, is led by Benny
Antiporda, a columnist of Remate.
While Floresca is a veteran journalist and a
former NPC secretary, Antiporda, who is unrelated to Jess Antiporda
of People’s Journal, was unknown in the media circle until his
sudden appearance at the NPC premises during the controversial 2005
NPC elections where he ran and won as vice president.
In its vow to regain control of the NPC and
“bring back its old glory and prestige,” Floresca’s team is
banking on the votes of the lifetime members who have formed
themselves into a supposedly exclusive club, the Samahang Plaridel,
and of the regular members from mainstream media organizations.
His platform includes a total overhaul of the
NPC roster of members, return of the annual Gridiron dinner and
skit, resumption of journalism lectures and seminars, revival of the
Celebrity Night and a review of the financial condition and past
operations of the club.
But Floresca’s ambition could be stymied by
Antiporda’s group that is supported by hundreds of new members
coming from the tabloids that have multiplied in the last few years.
In fact, Antiporda’s ticket is composed mostly of tabloid writers.
Formidable team
Floresca has a formidable ticket that includes
Delfin Perez, associate business editor of Manila Bulletin, for vice
president; Lilibeth Ison of the Philippine News Agency, for
secretary; Balita sports editor Dennis Inigo, for treasurer; and
Jimmy Cheng of the United Daily News, for auditor.
Running for director under the Balik-NPC
Movement are Orland Mauricio of RPN 9, Lysander Garcia, a lifetime
member, Rose dela Cruz of The Philippine Star, Fred Roxas of Manila
Bulletin, Ellen Fernando of Pilipino Star Ngayon, Leonel
“Boying” Abasola of Balita, Freddie Manalac of Tempo, Benjie
Murillo and Leonardo “Nards” Belen of Manila Bulletin, and
Chando Morallos of The Statesman.
Antiporda’s ticket has Rolly Gonzalo of UNTV
and DWIZ for vice president, Louie Logarta of The Daily Tribune for
secretary, Amor Virata of Remate for treasurer, and Toto Causing of
Hataw for auditor.
For directors in Antiporda’s ticket are Jerry
Yap of Hataw, Alvin Feliciano of Hataw, Joey Venancio of Police
Files, Marlon Purificacion of Taliba, Joey Sy Egco of Manila
Standard, William Depasupil of The Manila Times, Jun Cobarrubias
of The Daily Tribune, Percy Lapid of Hataw, Sammy Julian of Panay
News and Ronniel de Guzman of Manila Bulletin.
An old friend, the irrepressible D.Y.
Caparas, founder and publisher of the Diplomatic Post, is running
for vice president as an independent. Even without a party machine,
DY vows to give his two opponents a run for their money.
Being an old guard myself and having served as
NPC director for three consecutive terms, my sympathy goes to
Floresca and his team. I firmly believe that only Floresca’s team
can restore the luster and respectability of the club which was
founded by the venerable Teodoro “Doroy” Valencia and which was
second home to grizzled journalists, some of them still around and
some with names now etched in the epitaph at the NPC grounds.
My campaign slogan for Floresca’s ticket:
“Ibalik ang NPC sa tunay na diarista: iboto ang ticket ni Romy
Floresca.”
|
