advocacy journalism, FOR TRUTH, please

A FRIEND sent me a text message reacting to my recent post about Plaridel and "advocacy journalism," especially that part about another friend, a senior colleague in the media profession, asserting that "advocacy journalism" as a term can only be valid for advocacy of the truth. The text message alerted me to a letter written by DOH functionaries calling to task Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist Conrad Banal for coming out with a column item that was not even truthful, and was spparently a piece of advocacy journalism for the side of big business against the people's health and welfare. I understand that PDI's readers' advocate was alerted by the DOH letter about this matter, and i am curious about the RA's response/action on it.

Hereunder I quote the DOH functionaries' letter in full:

Don’t sacrifice people’s health for rich harvests
Philippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 04:35:00 06/01/2009

Filed Under: Health, Agriculture, Diseases, Corporate social responsibility

We would like to clarify some issues raised by Conrado Banal III in his May 14 column titled “Sagging banana industry.”

The objective of the Department of Health-commissioned study was to compare the health profile and pesticide exposures of Camocaan with a comparative community. The subjects of our study were chosen through random sampling. Statistical randomization has been used by scientific researchers since time immemorial to ensure that their samples are, indeed, representative of the larger population. Thus, a total of 82 individuals were examined, 38 from Sitio Camocaan and 44 from Sitio Baliwaga. We selected one out of every 28 residents in both sitios (sub-villages).

Our study showed a temporal relationship between the time of aerial spaying and the appearance of symptoms. Thirty-one of 38 people in Camocaan said they were exposed to pesticides through aerial spraying; 16 said they noticed the symptoms after the spraying activity. The study, therefore, showed 81 percent of the community exposed to pesticides through aerial spraying and a 52-percent chance of becoming sick after the spraying activity.

Environmental sampling was done to determine whether Camocaan residents, in comparison with those in another community, were indeed exposed to the pesticides in question. We were surprised to find that soil chlorothalonil and ETU were present in both communities, but higher in Camocaan than in Baliwaga. Air ETU, a potential carcinogen, was present in two out of six samples in Camocaan and one was even beyond the US-EPA remediation level. Isn’t it alarming that these pesticides reach areas beyond the confines of the plantation? As synthetic chemicals, they are not naturally occurring.

Finally, the health investigation led to the discovery of possible sentinel cases of chloracne, childhood global developmental delay and thyroid gland disorders in Camocaan. Chloracne is a very specific skin finding indicating exposure to chlorinated substances such as chlorothalonil. Thyroid gland disorders are known effects of exposure to ETU. There is sufficient evidence in animals that ETU can cause cancer and it is a possible carcinogen in humans. We believe these cases have to be investigated further for their association with pesticide exposure. We adhere to the precautionary principle that measures must be taken when there are threats to human health or to the environment even if cause-and-effect relationships are not fully established yet.

We find it unfair that Banal and the Philippine Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) have placed upon the victims the burden to prove that they have been harmed by plantation pesticides. Under the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility, shouldn’t the burden of showing that their products cause no harm be on the users and manufacturers?

We recognize the economic benefits of a rich harvest. However the means by which it is achieved should neither sacrifice the health of the people nor contaminate the environment.

—CARISSA C. DIOQUINO, MD, MPH,president, Philippine Society of Clinical& Occupational Toxicology;

LYNN CRISANTA R. PANGANIBAN, MD,head, UP-National Poison Managementand Control Center
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/letterstotheeditor/view/20090601-208190/Dont-sacrifice-peoples-health-for-rich-harvests

My previous post reprinted my talk at the Plaridel Shrine in Bulacan, Bulacan on the eve of his latest death anniversasy, where I noted that many stripes of Filipino journalists all claim Gat Marcelo H. del Pilar as "Father of Philippine Journalism," although the great Plaridel might very well be ashamed of the work of some of his avowed "children."

Some readers of that column have expressed reason to suspect that Conrad's commentary on ther DOH report showed signs that he had not even read that report and was apparently the result of a feed from apologists of the big banana planters federation.