MANILA, Philippines – They call it responsible journalism.

That’s when a reporter checks, double-checks facts before writing down an article to cause no harm and damage to the image of a person or that of an institution.

Such was the case of Whitewoods Convention and Leisure Hotel in Sta. Rosa, Laguna which came under fire on social media and public ridicule behind a “fake article news” allegedly courtesy of Rappler and some leading dailies claiming the PH women’s football team as to have been poorly fed by “kikiam” and egg at breakfast.

And the damage has been done. Far too wide it instantly scattered like wildfire, locally and internationally, no thanks to social media.

Acting to contain the damage, hotel president and CEO Edgardo Capulong wrote SEA Games Team Philippines chef de mission William Ramirez dated November 25, claiming the Whitewoods Convention and Leisure Hotel have proof that the athletes were served chicken sausage and not “kikiam.”

“The other Pinoy athletes also know that they ate Chicken Sausage,” Capulong said while adding that “kikiam” is not part of the hotel’s menu and that the food they have prepared went through strict scrutiny of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) Food Audit Team.

“Our food serving is generous because we decided a free and open buffet service complete with an egg omelet station that is not part of our contract.”

According to Capulong it was Philippine women’s football team, Let Dimzon, who may have fed the “fake news” to the media which immediately sensationalized the “kikiam” issue.

Dimzon alleged that her team was served kikiam, along with rice and egg, for breakfast.

Meanwhile, Capulong, for his part, also complained to Ramirez why the football team brought “lechon” for dinner without coordinating with the Sea Games food audit committee, which, he said, was “a violation of an agreement that no oil and pork products be served.”

Capulong also expressed disappointment about why a member of the football team, Fil-Am Hali Long, aired her frustrations directly to social media.

“Honestly, we regret that this athlete did not direct the concern to the management or to your duly appointed facilitator, but resorted immediately to clicking to Facebook which went viral very fast,” Capulong said adding “the hotel was so sad because the country’s representatives are the very first one to destroy our dignity as Filipinos.”

“We are so sad because our very own Pinoy athletes are the very first ones to destroy our dignity as Filipinos. Where is our sense of nationalism? What is the point of winning gold for our country if we recklessly destroy other people and our honor as a nation and the Philippine Sports Commission? All our efforts and undertaking will be in vain because of a few careless, insensitive athletes of our are spreading wrong information,” read Capulong’s letter.

“May this be a lesson to be included in the future formation of our athletes,” he said. (IAMIGO/CNS)