The PP and José Pablo López clash in Congress over ‘Malas Lenguas’

The tearful abandonment of the program Malas Lenguas Noche last Saturday by the panelist Marta Gómez Montero has sparked a new confrontation between the president of RTVE and the PP parliamentarians. During the control session of the corporation held this Monday in Congress, José Pablo López reiterated the public apologies he made on the social network X for the episode that occurred live during the broadcast of the show hosted by Jesús Cintora. “For this management, the dignity of people is above any consideration,” López said. He added: “I deeply regret the moment our colleague Marta Gómez Montero experienced. Both the presenter and I have apologized to her privately and publicly, but I want to highlight one thing: the immense generosity and immense humanity of Marta Gómez Montero, and her stature as a professional, which will allow her to be present again on RTVE today as usual.” The PP has requested measures against Cintora for these events, and López in turn has demanded that they show the same diligence with cases like that of the mayor of Móstoles from their party, charged with sexual and workplace harassment.

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The incident last Saturday occurred during the Malas Lenguas Noche talk show, when in the middle of a debate about the controversial statements on workplace absenteeism made last week by the PP leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the journalist accused the presenter of humiliations and after quoting Gabriel García Márquez said: “Cintora, I’d rather eat shit.” Marta Gómez Montero, who collaborates as a panelist, added that she had “put up with it for a long time” on this program that analyzes current affairs “to pay the bills” and left the set. Then, Jesús Cintora said: “Marta Gómez Montero has decided to leave, she will know.” The next day, Cintora apologized to the journalist “for the bad time” via the social network X “after doing so privately.” The same was done on his personal X account by the president of RTVE, José Pablo López, who reiterated the message in parliament this Monday and announced her return to the daily version of Malas Lenguas on Televisión Española.

Neither this announcement nor the repeated apologies have been enough for the PP bench. Deputy Eduardo Carazo has described the incident as a “disgrace for the public corporation” and stated that “the anti-harassment protocol must be activated.” Carazo added in his interpellation to the president of RTVE that “if it is proven that Marta Gómez Montero is right, Jesús Cintora must be immediately dismissed from the corporation.” The respondent replied on this matter: “Your ignorance regarding the harassment protocol is profound.”

The PP parliamentarians insisted on requesting measures, until deputy Héctor Palencia spoke while holding a sign: “I am with Marta; no to machismo on TVE; no to humiliation on TVE; no to threats on TVE; Jesús Cintora, out of TVE.” López then replied: “I wish you had been as diligent as we have been in cases of workplace harassment affecting your party.” And he showed another sign with the printed news of the mayor of Móstoles being charged with sexual and workplace harassment. “What have you done? Nothing,” López said. “You are not in a position to give this presidency any lesson.”

The quarrel continued mixing other directions until it was the turn of the popular senator José Ángel Alonso, who during his interpellation stated that “very soon there will be a change” in the “professional career” of the respondent. He added: “You are closer to directing an official television of the Chavista regime than any of the major European public broadcasters. What a pity, Mr. López, see you at the investigative commission [promoted in the Senate by the PP], there I hope you do answer me about the Cintora matter.” José Pablo López concluded: “You rely on parliamentary immunity so that I cannot sue you, but I tell you that what you have done here is unworthy of this chamber and of your honor.”

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