Gomez rants at ‘media spin’

TACLOBAN CITY — Leyte Fourth District Rep. Richard Gomez has lashed out at what he calls a well-coordinated “media spin” linking him to a flood control project that was damaged in last week’s heavy rains.

In a Facebook post Thursday night, Gomez claimed that someone was orchestrating the attacks against him, pointing to what he described as the striking similarities in questions coming from “socmed and agencies.”

To back his point, the actor-turned-politician posted screenshots of text messages from different news outlets requesting interviews after Matag-ob, Leyte Mayor Bernie Tacoy revealed that the flood control project implemented under Gomez’s watch had collapsed.

“You can really tell that someone is pulling the strings,” Gomez wrote in Filipino. “You can really tell that money was spent.”

Then came the sting: “Gastos pa more mga ungas” (“Keep spending, you fools”).

But the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) was quick to call him out — not just for the tirade, but for posting the names and phone numbers of journalists who reached out, a move the group said could violate data privacy law.

“Apart from the allegations that colleagues were paid as part of supposed ‘media spin,’ Gomez posted screenshots with media workers’ names and numbers, a potential violation of data privacy and an action that puts them at risk of harassment and fraud,” the NUJP said in a statement.

The group reminded Gomez that the interview requests were not an attack, but rather an opportunity.

“We remind Gomez that media asking for his side on the matter actually favors him. The requests give him a chance to address allegations made by Matag-ob Mayor Bernie Tacoy — who has also criticized him for alleged lack of support during heavy flooding — and making them is part of journalists’ jobs,” it added.

The NUJP stressed that Gomez could have simply declined the requests without imputing malice or exposing private information.

“Despite the media community’s recent reflections on the practices of some of its members, claiming media bias and spin to avoid answering questions will only go so far,” the group warned.