ABS-CBN informant shows face to media, sticks to rigging claims

The informant of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. on Tuesday revealed himself to the media and reiterated his claims that GMA Network Inc. and polling firm AGB Nielsen conducted manipulation of TV ratings in Bacolod, Iloilo.

GMA Network has repeatedly denied these claims, and has filed a P15-million civil action suit against ABS-CBN for airing what it says are false and malicious claims.

In a press conference held by ABS-CBN, Mark Dumago, 23 years old, who works as a field coordinator of a Bacolod radio station, said an official of GMA Network's radio station in Bacolod approached him in 2006 to conduct a survey on what TV shows were watched by local residents and which station had the highest ratings.

Dumago said their activities had the blessing of GMA Network's Manila office. However, he declined to disclose the name of the official who contacted them, or of the GMA Network executive in Manila who "blessed" their operation. He said he would only reveal their names in court.

"We know that they will deny engaging our services because of the nature of our work was confidential," he said.

The informant said that they were tapped to do the job because of their experience in doing surveys for some radio stations as field coordinators. Two months after, he said they were given a new assignment -- to locate households with installed AGN Nielsen TV meters.

Dumago said he received a monthly salary of P6,200 and P115 cellphone load for his new assignment adding that they allegedly bribed each panel home to watch GMA-7 programs in exchange of P500 plus monthly groceries.

"Many accepted our offer. They can't risk to tell what we are doing to AGB because their money and monthly groceries will be gone," Dumago said.

Dumago also claimed operations similar to theirs were also being done in Davao, Cebu and Iloilo, but did not clarify as to how he came to know about activities in other cities. - GMANews.TV