The President of the Republic of the Philippines, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, appeals for responsible reporting from the media that covers the approaching typhoon, which will hit the Philippines on Saturday, December 6, 2014. President express concern on reports surfaced earlier comparing Ruby to Yolanda.
In a press even at the Pulung Pulungan on Friday morning, President Aquino noted that one of the country’s major newspaper reported that Bagyong Ruby is comparable to the super typhoon Yolanda, one of the world’s deadliest typhoon to make a landfall.
President Aquino consulted with the DOST officials and said that there is no indication that Bagyong Ruby would be as strong as super typhoon Yolanda.
The President was quoted as saying “We must do our utmost, leave nothing to chance, improve where we can, and match what we have done so well in the past. Today, it is my hope that from your pens will come the responsible, sober writing that will have fostered the confidence we need as we weather this challenge again as a people,” he said.
Pres. Aquino criticized a major daily for using a headline describing the approaching typhoon as “Yoland-like.” The President noted that there is no indication or official analysis ever predicted Ruby to match Yolanda in terms of strength.
The President added further that “One has to ask: What was the basis of such speculation, and don’t we all agree that in reporting, we must always get the facts right, the angle right, and the news right, if we are to truly inform our people?” Aquino said.
According to the President during the forum some media agencies focus on negativity on their reporting with the approaching Bagyong Ruby.
PAGASA reported that as of 2:00 PM, December 5, 2014 Bagyong Ruby was located at 380km East of Borongan, Eastern Samar. It is still packing a maximum sustained winds of 215 kph, and gustiness of up to 250 kph, moving west northwest at 15 kph.