======
Inquirer business columnist suspended for one month
A business columnist of the Philippine Daily Inquirer will be suspended for a month after splashing water on the face of anti-Charter change activist RC Constantino over the weekend, ABS-CBN News reported.
“Committee members agreed that Agustin’s behavior was uncalled for – rude, boorish and unbecoming of a representative of the Philippine Daily Inquirer,” publisher Isagani Yambot said after a meeting Tuesday morning with editor in chief Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc and Lorna Kalaw-Tirol, the paper's Reader's Advocate.
Agustin doused Constantino with water when he confronted House Speaker Jose de Venecia and other administration congressmen during their Saturday. The press conference announced the administration congressmen's withdrawal of their proposal for a constituent assembly proposal as a means to amend the Constitution.
The decision to suspend Agustin and his column, "Cocktales," came after the business section piece failed to come out following Saturday's incident.
Yambot said Agustin's act was against the Journalists Code of Ethics and against the policies of the Inquirer.
Inquirer's reputation was also affected by the columnist's action.
Agustin accepted the suspension but said he did not regret what happaned Saturday. He said would first take a vacation overseas.
Yambot, however, said Agustin's return might not be that easy. He said the columnist will still have to answer allegations that he is a paid propagandist of several personalities allied with the Arroyo administration.
Agustin denied the allegations and said that handling public relations would be mean a conflict of interest on his part.


Reply With Quote
!



