''Counterpoint with Secretary Salvador Panelo'' is a Filipino public affairs

talk show A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show ...

hosted by then-Chief Presidential Legal Counsel

Salvador Panelo Salvador "Sal" San Buenaventura Panelo (born September 23, 1946) is a Filipino lawyer who served as President Rodrigo Duterte's Chief Presidential Legal Counsel (2016–2021) and Presidential Spokesperson (2018–2020). He was also the legal a ...

broadcast by Net 25. Initially produced by the Presidential Broadcast Staff - Radio Television Malacañang for the

People's Television Network People's Television Network ( fil, Telebisyon ng Bayan; abbreviated PTV) is the flagship State broadcasting, state broadcaster owned by the Government of the Philippines. Founded in 1974, PTV is the main brand of People's Television Network, In ...

(PTV), the program was used to be a platform for voicing Panelo's arguments for and defense of the actions taken by the government under then-President

Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...

. The show's first season aired on

IBC IBC is an initialism that can stand for: Broadcasting *Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation, Channel 13, Philippines * International Beacon Project, Worldwide network of radio propagation beacons *International Broadcast Centre *International ...

from October 29, 2008 to 2010, the second season aired on PTV from May 1, 2020 to September 24, 2022, and the third season aired on Net 25 from August 31, 2022 to present.

Background

In October 2018,

replaced

Harry Roque Herminio "Harry" Lopez Roque Jr. (; born October 21, 1966) is a Filipino lawyer, politician, and former law professor. He served as the presidential spokesperson of President Rodrigo Duterte from 2017 to 2018 and from 2020 to 2021. He was the p ...

as the Presidential Spokesperson of

, as Roque aimed to run for congress in the 2019 midterm election. In 2020, as the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

became a threat the Philippines and forced President Duterte to declare an enhanced community quarantine for the entire

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

area, he reappointed Roque as Presidential Spokesperson on April 13, with Panelo explaining that the crisis "requires a new task in messaging."

Production and airing

''Counterpoint'' was created by Panelo as a new platform for "discussing the issues affecting our country", as well as "analyze, dissect issues raised by certain critics and others against certain policies of the government". Shot at the New Executive Building of Malacañang, the program began airing on PTV in the Philippines on May 1, 2020, and is simultaneously broadcast on

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pages of the Philippine government. Each episode is subsequently posted on

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after broadcast by the RTVMalacañang. The show ended its broadcast on September 24, 2021, weeks before he resigned as the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and subsequently filed for candidacy for the 2022 Senatorial election. ''Counterpoint'' is set to return on television following Panelo's election defeat, this time on Net 25, a free-to-air and cable television network owned by Iglesia ni Cristo's affiliate

Eagle Broadcasting Corporation Eagle Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) is a Filipino Media company based in Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines. Named after the national bird, the ''Philippine eagle'', it is primarily involved in radio and television broadcasting. The primary st ...

starting August 31, 2022, every Wednesday nights, 10:30 PM ( PST).

Controversy

Panelo's remarks from the program's May 4 episode, which described the COVID-19 pandemic as potentially an "invasion" and grounds for

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

, was criticized by the National Union of People's Lawyers as "constitutionally preposterous" and led Harry Roque to announce that Duterte disagrees with Panelo's position. Panelo later clarified that his remarks were for the purpose of a "theoretical discussion".

References

{{Reflist 2009 Philippine television series debuts 2010 Philippine television series endings 2020 Philippine television series debuts 2021 Philippine television series endings 2022 Philippine television series debuts English-language television shows Filipino-language television shows Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation original programming People's Television Network original programming Net 25 original programming Presidential Communications Group (Philippines) Television controversies in the Philippines