Senatorial aspirant and SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta has expressed frustration over the lack of media coverage of his speech at the ‘National Rally for Peace’ organized by the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) last January.
Speaking on News5’s ‘Aplikante’, Marcoleta claimed that major broadsheets failed to report on his one-hour speech, despite the presence of multiple journalists at the event.
“I was one of the speakers. I spoke for about an hour. By January 14, or the next day, I expected my speech to be reported in the broadsheets,” Marcoleta stated.
He specifically called out two major newspapers, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and The Philippine Star, questioning why his participation in the rally was omitted from their reports.
Sa programang #Aplikante, naglabas ng hinaing laban sa media si SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, na tumatakbo bilang senador sa 2025 midterm elections, dahil hindi raw siya binanggit sa mga balita matapos ang malawakang rally ng Iglesia ni Cristo noong Enero. pic.twitter.com/NRwH02ClwX
— News5 (@News5PH) March 7, 2025
“‘Philippine [Daily] Inquirer,’ their slogan is ‘Balanced News.’ What the hell, I was not there? I was not even mentioned, as if I did not exist,” he said.
Marcoleta added, “The Philippine Star says, ‘Truth shall prevail.’ But there were eight reporters covering that event, and I was completely left out. Three from Inquirer and eight from Star—eleven reporters—and not one saw or heard me. Why?”
In response, ‘Aplikante’ host and The Philippine Star editor-in-chief Amy Pamintuan dismissed any claims of bias, clarifying that news reports go through an editorial selection process.
“If he was part of the event, he should have been included in the stories. Editors combine the reports from all the journalists present and decide what makes it to print,” she explained.
Veteran journalist and fellow ‘Aplikante’ host Ed Lingao added that not all speakers at an event are guaranteed media coverage.
“Editors must prioritize key highlights of the event. Not everyone who speaks at a rally gets reported,” he pointed out.
Dapat gumawa na lang si rodante marcoleta ng sarili niyang partylist. Mga marginalized literal. KSP PARTYLIST. MGA KULANG SA PANSIN. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Mga pulitikong iyakin pag di nababalita sa mainstream media.
— JMecerolf (@JMecerolf) March 8, 2025
Given Marcoleta’s actions against ABS-CBN, why would the station give him any attention? These media outlets might be business rivals, but they sometimes unite when it comes to promoting or undermining someone.
— ☆ Cheeky Lady ☆ (@CheekyLady1027) March 7, 2025
The ‘National Rally for Peace’, organized by the INC, was a significant political gathering aimed at showing support for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., particularly amid the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.
