Inside Philippine politics & beyond

Jonathan Head’s version of his “skillful ambush” by a major blogger

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By Raïssa Robles

Reporters are a very curious lot.

And so it was natural for them to ask fellow journalist Jonathan Head what had happened to set off his encounter with a “major blogger” with over half a million followers on Facebook.

Controversy is nothing new to him. Two months ago, he was hauled to court to stand trial for a defamation suit arising from a story he had written on how foreign retirees lost their retirement homes to scammers. He had faced a possible five months in jail. Fortunately, the charges were withdrawn.

And so he was free to fly to Manila to cover the 50th anniversary of ASEAN without having to worry about any court suit. Little did he know what awaited him here.

I asked Head’s permission to post his version of the events of November 13, 2017. This is what he told fellow journos:

“I bumped into her by accident. I’d gone over to introduce myself to Mocha Uson. When I realized Sass was there I said hello, and introduced myself, because she had commented very critically of my reporting last year. I had hoped to have a constructive conversation. But it wasn’t really possible.”

♦  ♦  ♦

“She’s obviously smart, and knew what she was doing. It was a skillful ambush. But a bit intense, all the tears, and Mocha Uson handing her tissues. And then the accusation of me, with my white skin misreporting people with brown skin. Hard to argue with really. I did suggest we continue the discussion elsewhere. Of course at an ASEAN press center, without much happening, it attracted a lot of attention. Much better journalists are not the story really. We just aren’t that important. Our influence is overrated here.”

♦  ♦  ♦

“I’m getting lots of hate messages now of course – along with some supporting, although both sides are so screamingly insulting of each other I just feel like asking them to leave me out of it. Amusingly someone has decided that the word ‘poppycock’ is shockingly insulting, so that’s become the favoured term of abuse for me now.”

After having seen what had happened; having read Jonathan Head’s version of events; and having realized that two government officials were present watching the entire thing unfold with one of them (RJ Nieto, aka @Thinking Pinoy even videotaping it), I am forced to conclude that the entire tirade was just that – poppycock.

[Disclosure – BBC Radio sometimes interviews me although I am a minor blogger with no PR firm or political party affiliation.]

Comments

  1. A little word game for the weekend:

    Insert the word “and” to alter the meaning of this sentence:

    MR. ALLANTROY GIVES JONATHAN HEAD A TONGUE LASHING.

      • THE PLATFORM THE RP GOVT CONTROLS O PR NO LONGER WORKS

        Kaya they have to beg legit media to air their side. The international audience daw through all the fake news.

        Viva Prime Minister Trudeau for telling Du30 in his tiff what he fears to hear from an international leader.

  2. Congratulations for winning the National Bookstore book award on Non-Fiction Prose in English for “Marcos Martial Law Never Again”.

    God Bless.

    Trolls sana kaya din ninyo magsulat ng ganito.. hindi puro mura lang.

  3. Hi Raissa,

    Let me be among the first one to congratulate you for bagging the National Bookstore book award on Non-Fiction Prose in English:

    “Marcos Martial Law Never Again”
    Raissa Robles
    Filipinos for a Better Philippines

    I apologize for not being able to respond to your invite because I was traveling and out of the country at that time.

  4. You miss the point, Sass doesnt want to be interview but just want to raise a point against the bias of bbc and by the way was omitted by this blog. It was about Jover Laurio’ attack on Duterte supporter, she was force to come out because she was named as the person behind Pinoy Ako blog who maliciously wrote libelous statement against Duterte supporters. She was given a platform to air her side and play victim well in fact she victimized people by her malicious and libelous attack on them. Raissa why did you omit the bacground on why this confration hAppen in the first place?

    • So much has been written about the major blogger’s version. So not necessary to do so here.

      But none about Jonathan’s version.

      This is a scoop.

    • speaking of SASS’s attitude, it is exotically why she was not chosen to be interviewed by BBC. Yes she is or was educated but it just don’t seems that she attended her classes. BBC is not controlled by the goverment and they can choose who ever they feel is deserving to be placed on air.

      With what SASS did .. maybe other countries might just say “what kind of persons are handling the Philippine Govt?” is this how they defined “Pleasing Personality”? or the they (the DoDirty’s administration, changed it true meaning?

  5. Fiddlesticks and poppycock is the best description. No substance, very shallow.
    And hmmm, the voice of Asia in it’s croaky tone. It is a shame to all the versatile singers in the country. One applause for the nerve to do it in front of all the ASEAN leaders.

    And this man said he was insulted by PM TRUDEAU, why , of course, he got shamed in his own country, as in napahiya sa Pinoys. In all his arrogance , he never thought with his threats to slap and humiliate anyone that would raise EJK AND HUMAN VIOLATIONS, he didn’t see it coming from the charismatic Canadian leader.
    The documentaries were widely shown here in Canada about the killings and the reports of the foreign and local journalist. PM TRUDEAU knows what’s happening , in fact he is compassionate in the PH estate because his dearly beloved kids are all being taken care of our equally loving and compassionate countrywomen even before he was not the PM. I am sure they’re not one of the 16 DDS million.

    Naglalaway pa naman si Sassot at si Mocha sa kanya, on TV, the SHAMELESS BBC STALKERS.