DavidSays

DAVID CASUCO; SINNER OR SAINT


By E.M. WAGNER

You can despise David Casuco for all that he is and take away from him everything that he has, but do not mess with what he does -- as a journalist -- because he won't take it sitting down, and he will certainly make you feel his displeasure. That is the reason why he is the most itinerant among Filipino-American editors. His peers thought he is best suited to the title editor-at-large due to his abbreviated work history.

He moves from one job to another like a shifting shadow because, in situations where journalism issues are at stake, he refuses to compromise.

He could have come full circle early this year had he taken the editor's post of Weekend Balita, a weekly publication that he edited for seven years in the early 90s. Depending of what kind of publisher, David can be both a gem of a worker, or a dangerous piece in a newspaper organization. To those who want a newspaper that has the touch of a professional, David is the man. But to those who think that the newspaper publishing is a joke, hiring David is a very bad idea. This man would rather go hungry than compromise the basic tenets of journalism that he learned from the University of Santo Tomas, where he finished his journalism degree, the twelve years as reporter, sportswriter, assistant sports editor, and foreign news editor of the Journal Publications in Manila, and fifteen more years as editor of Weekend Balita, L.A. Monitor, Taliba,Vision Magazine, Manila Mail, San Gabriel Valley Examiner, Ang Peryodiko, and the Manila Times of Las Vegas.

One time a smart aleck of an editorial assistant made a mistake of telling David, "walang journalism-journalism dito, basta matapos lang ang diyaryo." David looked at her with fire in his eyes and rebuked her, "Say that again and I will kick your dumb ass to thy kingdom come!" The girl was flabberghasted; she couldn't believe a newly hired editor would give her, an old-timer in the office, a raw tongue-lashing.

Another time a publisher's daughter was saying there is something wrong with the front page layout. David tried hard not to react, but then his not-so-extended patience snapped, so he told the lady. "Get out! You cannot just come here and tell me what to do. I am a professional. People who understand journalism have seen my work and appreciated them. You do not know anything about journalism, so shut up..." The publisher's daughter was shell-shocked. She did not expect that this editor who keeps a low profile, reads the bible, and prays before they eat could suddenly become a vessel of pure rage. The next day David was back in L.A. studying the Post Office Battery Test.

A lot of his job movements are caused by his "defense of the ideals journalism." Said David: "In the Filipino-American setting, the (newspaper) industry has been raped mercilessly and repeatedly by people who do not understand that journalism is all about the truth that sets us free."

Ask which part of his career he enjoyed most, David replied: "I would say, when I was a sportswriter for the Times Journal and People's Journal. Those were the years after my short stint in Malacanang as a member of a group of writers who write about Imelda's projects. As sportswriter, I get the chance to travel to places all over the world. And in that stage of my career, I learned almost all facets of what the journalist actually does. In sportswriting you have interview, feature writing, press conferences, multi-event coverage, and you get the chance to sit down and layout the sports page when the sports editor is not around. You have to take note that I am talking Manila. The media has respect and power. If you are able to compete in there, you have it made. As a rule, dadaan ka sa karayom before getting hired as a reporter. In L.A., my best job was in Ang Peryodiko, not much for what I earned, but for the total trust that the publishers have given me." He did not elaboarate.

Currently the editor-in-chief of California Examiner, David Casuco gives the much-need boost and inspiration to the newly-formed Philippine National Press Club of America (now the PPCI). His recent assumption to the presidency of the fledgling organization gives even more credibility to the terms "journalist" and "editor".

A multi-awarded journalist, David is probably one of the most stress-free individual one can ever worked with. Nothing seemed to faze or intimidate him -- not a pressing deadline, not a late breaking story, not even a computer that constantly breaks down. As a writer, he approaches every assignment with a passion and dedication and writes every article and news story with enthusiasm that is evident in the columns that he never fails to dish out every week. His words are simple but effective -- the way good writers write.

To his close associates, David answers the monicker Casuking or DaKing (in reference to King David of the bible) -- easy going person who can concoct an instant celebration at a drop of a hat, and is always willing to lend a hand to those in need. His relaxed manner belies his unflinching dedication for his profession, an obsession that has given him a lot of heartaches. And like King David, our man knows a lot pneumatology, hermeneutics, and things concerning task theology, having studied for two-and-a-half years at the Angelus Bible Institute in Los Angeles. But unlike King David, our man does not turn the other cheek when fighting for the cause of the journalism profession.

That is why, to a lot of people David remains an enigma. They see this guy as a potpourri of inconsistencies and human contradictions. Up until now, the old question about him remains the same: Is David Casuco a sinner or saint?