Former actor and now Leyte 4th District Rep. Richard Gomez has accused reporters of receiving bribe after journalists sought his comment to accusations hurled by a municipal mayor over recurring floods in his locality.

Gomez’s reaction to the requests for interview surprised members of the media who noted that the journalists’ request to get his side on the issue was a standard practice in observance of objectivity in reporting.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) chided Gomez for resorting to the social media to accuse reporters of media spin.

“We remind Gomez that media asking for his side on the matter actually favors him. The requests give him a chance to address allegations made by Matag-ob mayor Bernie Tacoy,” said the NUJP as it pointed out that seeking Gomez’s comment on the accusation is part of balanced and objective reporting.

The NUJP said the actor may have also violated the data privacy laws for posting screenshots of the news reporters’ names and telephone numbers.

The organization said the two-term lawmakers exposed the reporters to risk of harassment and fraud.

“If Gomez preferred to not speak about the issue, a simple ‘no comment’ or lack of response would have sent that message without imputing malice or exposing our colleagues’ private information,” the media group said.

Tacoy accused Gomez of giving limited assistance to his town which has been suffering from recurring floods.

Depending on their political leanings, congressmen are normally granted the prerogative to choose where funding for infrastructure projects, such as flood control systems, are to be allocated.