State-run network People’s Television Network or PTV-4 in its latest string of errors mistakenly used the picture of former President Emilio Aguinaldo in a feature intended for revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio in its Independence Day coverage.
On Friday, the network reportedly aired a clip that featured a short background on the Philippine Revolution led by Bonifacio but its screen showed a picture of the country’s first president instead.
“In line with the recent coverage of the People’s Television Network on the 122nd Independence Day celebration which was aired live on 12 June 2020, a photo of President Emilio Aguinaldo was mistakenly used in a feature intended for Andres Bonifacio,” PTV said in a statement.
“The said error was already corrected and the revised version will be uploaded in the Network’s social media pages. We sincerely apologize for this mistake. Rest assured that under the new PTV management, necessary training and skills development will be initiated to avoid similar inaccuracies,” it added.
The gaffe did not escape some Filipinos who pointed out that the fact is a “basic historical knowledge.”
“How can you mistake Aguinaldo for Bonifacio, vice versa????????? Mga grade schoolers or younger alam na yan!!!” a Twitter user exclaimed.
elementary palang tayo alam na nating hindi naka flat top si supremo, so baket?🤦♀️😂 https://t.co/JnaV3tD086
— @althea.dc (@annnnnnnnnn2000) June 12, 2020
Bakit ang daming blunders ng PTV? Is this amateur hour? https://t.co/BEH08tRfCM
— Ein Kreuz (@EinKreuz) June 12, 2020
Some even joked that blogger Mocha Uson, who is the deputy administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, could be responsible for the error since she is supposedly known for sharing “fake news.”
The Philippine Revolution is taught in the curriculum as early as elementary.
Bonifacio is tagged the “Father of the Revolution” for founding Katipunan, a militant nationalist society that paved the way for uprisings against the Spaniards.
He was also allegedly executed under the orders of Aguinaldo in a supposed bid to secure the latter’s “power-base” in Katipunan.
Aguinaldo, meanwhile, is known as the first president of a constitutional republic that was established in Asia.
Blunder after blunder
PTV previously broadcasted a report about the damaged coral reefs in Sarangani Province but some Filipinos noticed it had a spelling error.
READ: When spelling goes wrong: PTV airs report on Sarangani reefs with grammar mistakes
It also featured an edited photo of a Chinese ship on-air but the report was about the Philippine Navy.
The network’s Twitter account was not prone to errors as well. Last March, it tweeted an “instruction message” while it was supposedly live-tweeting President Rodrigo Duterte who delivered a national address at that time.
One of PTV’s mandates under Republic Act 7306 or “Charter of the People’s Television Network, Incorporated,” amended under Republic Act 10390, is “to ensure that the programs broadcast by the Network maintain a high general standard in all respects.”
It added that the particular standard should be maintained with “respect to their content and quality and proper balance of educational, news, public affairs, entertainment, and sports programs.”
The network’s function is “to serve primarily as a vehicle for the State for purposes of education, science and technology, arts, culture, and sports in order to foster national pride and identity.”
