THE power of the press is awesome. When used ethically and fairly, it helps people form rational and reasoned opinions. When wielded in pursuit of a personal agenda, it can cause irreparable damage. I am referring to Mr. Ferdie P. de la Torre’s commentary published on May 2. In his “Strike That!” column he did just that. He struck me…below the belt. Unlike Mr. De la Torre, however, if I have a disagreement with someone, I am not able to write about it every week in the newspaper.
As a prosecutor I work hard every day. I make decisions that have significant impact on the lives of suspects and victims alike. I do not seek glory by convicting someone. I derive satisfaction from presenting the facts fully, fairly and professionally.
I understand that the press has an obligation to report. The press has a rare opportunity in court proceedings to view the events as they occur and report objectively on those events. They should attend court hearings and report on newsworthy events. I do not seek out the press to try my cases.
Likewise, the press should not seek me out to find out what went on. Mr. De la Torre is often in the courtroom during portions of the trials that I am conducting.
However, I have never seen him observe one from start to finish. This is dangerous because his subsequent reporting on court cases not only gives a false impression to the public, but it can also supply the public with erroneous and incomplete information.
There are reasons why I am reluctant to discuss matters with the local press. Mr. De la Torre correctly reported that the inaccurate coverage by the press is one of those reasons. Another is lack of professionalism. True to form, Mr. De la Torre has proven me correct in his May 2 column.
Prior to the commencement of the April 30 press conference, I told Mr. De la Torre and Mr. Chris Nelson of KMCV 7 that I would not be making any statements about the case. They pressed me for the reasons why. I proceeded to tell them my concerns only after they assured me that my comments would be “off the record.” Though distorted to fit his personal agenda, these are the very comments about which Mr. De la Torre now reports.
Perhaps Mr. De la Torre is correct when he said that I don’t understand journalistic ethics, but I thought that “off the record” meant that the substance of what was said would not be reported. Incidentally, Mr. Nelson honored his promise and did not report any of what happened on the local news.
As further evidence of the pursuit of his personal agenda, Mr. De la Torre has dredged up every incident that he thinks will fit in with his clever “alleged attitude” theme. I will not indulge him by responding to each of his items. I do, however, strongly resent his insinuation that I was somehow insulting to my boss or to Det. Taisacan. I have a close working relationship with both Mr. Torres and Det. Taisacan that remains unaffected by Mr. De la Torre’s callous reporting. Mr. De la Torre erroneously reported that I caused a “heated argument” with Sonya Artero.
In reality, I simply tapped Det. Taisacan on the shoulder and reminded him not to speak with the press about a case while the trial was still proceeding. My purpose was to ensure that the integrity of the criminal justice system would not be compromised. I am sure that most citizens here in the CNMI, especially those who have either been a victim of a crime or a close family member of a victim, would appreciate what I did.
I also resent Mr. de la Torre’s insinuation that my comments that day were in retaliation to his paper’s inaccurate reporting that I was present during a police raid that apparently occurred at a local massage parlor. He claims that Variety “never touched that issue because we knew the truth behind it,” yet that very issue is Variety’s cover story on October 2, 2001. Again on Oct. 5, 2002 reference is made to the same issue in an article/advertisement by Stanley Torres. Each contains factually incorrect information. I approached Variety’s editor, Mr. Zaldy Dandan, to inform him of the mistakes in Mr. de la Torre’s May 2, 2002 editorial, but no correction was ever published.
Finally, I am disturbed by Mr. De la Torre’s attempt at humor by usurping the Developmental Disabilities slogan about “attitudes” to further his attack on me. It is offensive to the governor’s program, and it is not funny.
I suspect that by responding to Mr. De la Torre I have opened the door for more of the same. Guess what, I don’t care. How’s that for attitude.DANIEL H. COHAN
Assistant Attorney General
Ferdie de la Torre replies:
You can’t expect reporters to sit in the courtroom from start to finish. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t ensure that we get all the facts needed for our news stories. Talking about professionalism, who was the first government lawyer in the CNMI summoned by a judge to her chamber because of attitude he had shown in the courtroom? And it was the KMCV reporter and not me who “pressed” you to comment during a press conference last April 30. Please don’t lie. You simply did not just “tap” Det. Taisacan and you did cause a “heated argument” with Sonya Artero. There were many people who witnessed the argument. Don’t you know that there is a hidden camera in the building? The records are also clear that I was not the one who wrote the article about the three government lawyers allegedly found in a Garapan sauna bath. It’s not my business if you are a known customer of that massage parlor. So you, an officer of the court and a public servant, don’t care with your attitude. Well, I also don’t care if you are a prosecutor. Harassment is part of the reporter’s daily breakfast.
