Veteran journalist Charie Villa declines offer to head PTV-4 News

Veteran journalist Charie Villa on Thursday confirmed she declined offers from the Duterte administration to run the news department of state-owned People's Television (PTV-4).

“Until now no word. So I have decided to refuse any offer, because I think they are not serious about what they promised, and with what's happening lately, I think I will be more effective outside," Villa said.

She has been vocal against extra-judicial killings and the proposed burial of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Villa noted that Presidential Communications Office Secretary Martin Andanar offered her the post but she has yet to receive any word regarding the appointment.
 
Villa was hired as a stringer by the British Broadcasting Network before President Rodrigo Duterte took his oath of office. At that time she was with BBC anchor Rico Hizon to meet with Andanar for a one-on-one interview with the then-President elect in Davao City, but the meeting did not push through.

Andanar reached out to her again and asked if she would like to head PTV-4's news team.
 
"When I got back, Martin Andanar called, I thought to apologize for standing us up, but no," Villa said.

"[Andanar] said how would you like to head news of PTV-4? So we met and agreed in principle to build a public information hub and I introduced my advocacy 'Tao Po', to make the government responsive to people's needs... He liked it. He said, 'A responsive government'."

Villa, a former executive at ABS-CBN, noted she and Andanar agreed to not reveal the details of their meeting since she has a scheduled trip to the United States for one month.
 
But when Andanar was invited for a television interview with ABS-CBN, Villa said he hinted that a former executive of the network would soon head PTV-4 News.
 
"I was deluged with messages, inquiries, applications for work, e-mails on what is wrong with PTV-4 (daming ghost employees etc., corruption). When I returned, I messaged Martin and he said, 'I've been lobbying for you.' So I said 'huh?'," Villa said.
 
GMA News Online tried to reach the news department of PTV-4, but the person who answered said no one was authorized to speak on behalf of officer-in-charge Chit Gatan who was on sick leave. — Joseph Tristan Roxas/VDS, GMA News