Passion for Press Club

I want to seek the kind indulgence of our readers for insisting on our passion, the Press Club. I strongly believe, this country can never improve and have quality leaders until the thought leaders which means the writers, broadcasters, including the street demonstrators and the articulate members of society develop also a passion for insisting that we must have good leaders. Before leaders change, the change starts with these thought leaders. To cite a few, Galileo, Plato, Socrates, Aristotle of olden times. Montesquieu who attacked French absolutism, Rousseau who postulated on the social contract, they practically enkindled the fire of the French Revolution.

Adams Smith of Britain. And in America, Thomas Paine a Brit himself and Patrick Henry, they helped in the American Revolution with their fiery speeches and writings.

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We go back to Bacolod and Negros Occidental. Tomorrow, the Negros Press Club elects its officers this year, an election year. I ask leaders not to sell the Club to the politicians. I have no proof somebody is doing it.

We have and must develop friendship with our leaders. But if they give, it must be with no strings attached. Give but let the media be independent.

Two years ago, the Sunshine Boys donated airconditioning units worth P160,000. No strings attached. Governor Joseph Marañon gave help. But it was clear it was with no strings attached.

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I wrote yesterday about the National Press Club which sold the mural of national artist Vicente Manansala for P10 million in order to repair its elevator. The mural depicted the soul of press freedom and occupied one wall in its bar and restaurant.

Its sale was attacked by Star Columnist Federico Pascual as the sale of the soul of press freedom.

The following day, Inquirer Columnist Neal H. Cruz, former NPC president himself went ballistic saying that the sale of the Manansala was clandestine. He called the mural the crowning jewel of the NPC building.

The defenders of the sale said, it was to buy an elevator, meaning swapping an art treasure for an old elevator which Cruz said, nobody has complained.

They will investigate whether the price was right and how much commission did some people get. I remember NPC had a big piano. Some years ago, some officers took it out for "repair." Up to now, it has not been found.

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The problem with the Manila NPC is that its past presidents did not care. For now except Neal Cruz. One time I talked with some of them and they said these younger ones are "incorregible."

That is why when the past presidents of our NPC met last Saturday, we vowed to see to it that our NPC does not follow the fate of Manila NPC. And while we will not interfere in the president's way of running NPC, Modi Sao-noy suggested and we agree to ask the general assembly to create an oversight committee for the Council of Past Presidents.

Neal Cruz questioned the authority of the NPC board to sell the mural.

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Only the NPC president, members of the board and their few friends knew of the sale. It was not ratified. The sale is not legal.

The NPC cannot sell the mural, Cruz said. The Lopez family and The Manila Chronicle commissioned Manansala to paint the mural. And donated it with the condition that if NPC did not want the mural it would revert to the Lopez family. Columnist I.P. Soliongco negotiated with his friend Manansala. Neal Cruz knew because he was then in the Chronicle staff.

Cruz told the officers and members but they disregarded it.

The other reason why NPC cannot sell the mural is the NPC lot and building were donated by government on condition that if the Press Club does not want it, it should revert to the government. NPC borrowed from GSIS which was not paid. GSIS owns the building. So, the mural should have gone to the Lopezes or GSIS which have their own museums.

NPC also owes Meralco, PLDT, and Maynilad big amounts. They can claim the mural too.

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Money was also lost from donations. Singer Jose Mari Chan donated P1 million. Before it reached NPC P250,000 was gone. It was not known what happened the rest. Speaker Jose de Venecia also donated P1 million. Nobody knew where it went.

Cruz, after his term, set up a trust fund donated by Asian Wall Street Journal and a banker, to train Filipino business writers at the AWSJ headquarters in Hong Kong. It was supposed to grow from interest earnings and future donations. Now, after training two, the money was lost.

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I write these to make all aware what happens to Press Clubs when leadership falls into the wrong hands. Many experiences of Manila NPC were experienced by local NPC. We have one advantage, the past presidents acted to correct them.*

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