A Malacañang official on Friday took responsibility for the inverted photo of the Philippine flag posted on the official website of the Office of the President, even as he said the OP now adopts strict measures to ensure the accuracy of pictures and articles they post.
Ako na lang ang magte-take ng responsibility kasi ayoko rin naman na maapektuhan masyado ‘yung employee concerned ‘di ba? Bata pa yung empleyado. Kailangan din naman ma-encourage pa rin," Herminio Coloma Jr. told reporters Friday.
Coloma is the head of the Presidential Communications Operations Office which is in charge of the OP website.
He said the concerned employee immediately reported to his superiors the incident after he realized the mistake and took down the inverted flag.
Unfortunately, the mistake was screen grabbed by GMA News Online.
“I’m satisfied with the explanation. It was an honest mistake that was committed in good faith. Wala namang willful intent," Coloma said.
To prevent similar incident from happening, he said they decided to tighten their editing procedures.
“Kasi ang maaring nangyari d’yan, even if it was removed, may mga nagmo-monitor — kasi ‘pag nagmo-monitor ka, unless you refresh it makikita mo pa rin ‘yung dati. So ganun lang ‘yon: immediately noticed, immediately rectified, immediately removed, immediately reported," Coloma said.
The incident happened even as the OP website encouraged Filipinos to display the Philippine flag from May 28 to June 12, the Philippine Independence Day. But the site displayed the Philippine flag upside down, inadvertently indicating that the Philippines is at war. — LBG
