Bu-lat-lat (boo-lat-lat) verb: to search, probe, investigate, inquire; to unearth facts Vol. IV, No. 28 August 15 - 21, 2004 Quezon City, Philippines |
Journalists
Close Ranks; Demand Probe of Media Killings The
Philippine press closed ranks Aug. 16 as at least 200 journalists,
broadcasters and photographers from the multimedia industry marched to the
gates of the national police headquarters at Camp Crame, along Edsa,
Quezon City to denounce police incompetence in solving media killings.
Similar protests were held in the Visayas and Mindanao. By
Aubrey SC Makilan
Their rage is hotter than the news Photo by Aubrey SC Makilan The
Philippine press closed ranks Aug. 16 as at least 200 journalists,
broadcasters and photographers from the multimedia industry marched to the
gates of the national police headquarters at Camp Crame, along Edsa,
Quezon City to denounce police incompetence in solving media killings. Led
by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), the
journalists – at least half of them from the provinces and as far away
as Mindanao – held a picket outside the Crame gates. Some of the
placards screamed, “Justice for slain journalists!,” “Stop media
harassment!” and “Uphold press freedom!” Some
protesters, led by NUJP secretary general Carlos H. Conde, staged a
“die-down” to dramatize the media killings and the press’
determination to defend their freedom. In
a news conference held at Congress later, Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo
denounced the media killings as a threat to press freedom while his
colleague, Rep. Teddy Casiño noted that human rights violations have
become worse with the slaying of journalists and other professions. Rep.
Gilbert Remulla vowed to convene the Committee on Public Information,
which he chairs, to inquire into the spate of media killings. The three
legislators will file a joint resolution to start the investigation. NUJP
members led by their chair, Inday Espina-Varona, who also went to Congress
from Camp Crame were stopped at the Batasan Pambansa complex gate for
wearing black T-shirts. They were allowed to enter after a long wait
following the intercession of Congressman Ocampo. Joining
the morning’s picket-rally, aside from NUJP, were the Philippine Center
for Photo Journalism, Press Photographers of the Philippines, Mindanao
Institute of Journalism, Center for Community Journalism and Development,
Batangas Newswriters Association, Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas,
Pro-4 Media Group, Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, NUJP
chapters in Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon, College Editors Guild of
the Philippines and Union of Journalists of the Philippines-UP Chapter. In
Bacolod City, leaders of the local chapter of NUJP reported that about 50
journalists marched through the streets with placards and streamers before
converging in front of the city hall where they held a rally. Trimedia
reporters from the Negros Press Club and Congress of Active Young
Journalists joined the march-rally to denounce the media killings and
demand state responsibility. The
Bacolod media also rejected police proposal to arm journalists for
self-defense. Black
T-shirts Journalists
in Iloilo City and Antique wore black shirts in protest. Broadcasters read
the list of martyrs of the press accompanied by the playing of solemn
music. In
Gen. Santos City, southern Philippines local mediamen held a motorcade and
stopped at the police headquarters where they lit candles and offered
prayers to their fallen colleagues. The rally was highlighted by the
burning of mock coffins symbolizing the threats to press freedom. Similar
protests were held in the cities of Cebu and Pagadian. In
Quezon City, a dialogue with the press was later held inside Crame’s
multi-purpose hall. Philippine National Police (PNP) officials led by
Deputy Director General Edgardo Aglipay assured the media that police
authorities are looking into the media killings – 55 since 1986, six of
them this year alone. NUJP
and the other media groups took to the streets in Metro Manila as well as
in Davao in southern Philippines and Bacolod in Negros on the heels of the
spate of killings victimizing three journalists in just a month. NUJP
protested government’s apparent inaction on the cases, adding that none
of the 55 incidents of killings has been looked into by the authorities. Many
of the media killings that have been documented took place in the
provinces and involved policemen and soldiers. Crame
dialogue In
the dialogue, however, Col. Ignacio Radovan, head of Task Force Newsmen,
disputed NUJP’s claim, clarifying that 20 to 30 percent of the cases
have been resolved. Contrary
to NUJP claim, Col. Ignacio Radovan, head of the Task Force overseeing
murder cases against journalists, said that 20 to 30 percent of the cases
have been resolved. Asked to clarify, Aglipay said that 20-30 percent of
the cases have been filed for prosecution and were therefore already
outside the hands of the police.
Ma.
Rowena Endrinal, daughter of radio broadcaster Ruel Endrinal who was
slain in February this year, asked the PNP officials, “Kelan mahuhuli
ang suspect sa pagpatay ng tatay ko?” (When will you arrest the
suspect in the killing of my father?).
Endrinal,
known as a hard-hitting broadcaster of DWRL in Albay province south of
Manila, was killed for exposing corruption and gambling operations in the
province, reports indicated. According
to Ma. Rowena, the PNP has identified the main suspect as Clarito Arizobal,
said to be among Albay’s top three most wanted criminals. But Arizobal
remains on the loose. Arnell
Ozaeta, president of Batangas News Writers Association, also hit the PNP
for the snail-paced investigation of the killing of Arnnel Manalo. A
correspondent of Bulgar tabloid and DZRH reporter, Manalo was gunned down
in Bauan, Batangas only last Aug. 5.
Ozaeta
revealed that the family of Manalo is hiding for fear of their lives. He
added that the Bauan police have not even interviewed Manalo’s brother,
the sole eyewitness to the killing. “Anong
klaseng imbestigasyon ba ‘yan?” (What kind of investigation is
that?). Meanwhile,
Delfin Mallari Jr., correspondent of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, lashed
out at police indetness in solving the killing of his college mate and
fellow journalist Apolinario Pobeda.. Pobeda, who was with DWTI
in Lucena City, was killed on May 17 last year.
Damalerio’s
case One
of the celebrated cases was that of Edgar Damalerio. A reporter of the
Zamboanga Scribe and Mindanao Gold Star in Pagadian City, Damalerio was
killed on May 3, 2002. Merpu
Roa of Mindanao Institute of Journalism, who brought up Damalerio’s case
in the dialogue, reminded the PNP that the case remains unsolved despite
the fact that a photo of the suspected killer, PO Guillermo Wapille, has
been all over the newspapers in Zamboanga for almost everyday. NUJP
chairperson, Inday Espina-Varona, challenged Aglipay and the other police
officials to resolve immediately Damalerio’s case. Conde, on the other
hand, said the case is very important in winning back the confidence of
the public to the PNP. Aglipay
promised to hunt down the main suspect. At
presstime, NUJP leaders and other journalists were in Congress to ask
legislators to conduct hearings on the media killings. Meanwhile,
a number of journalists and editors expressed their misgivings at the
unsolved media killings even as they pressed for action by the members of
media themselves to address the continuing threat of harassment against
the sector. In
a roundtable discussion organized by the NUJP at Balai Kalinaw in UP
Diliman, Quezon City Aug. 12, the media practitioners agreed to map out
plans to stop the killings and give justice to their fallen colleagues. “’Pag
binitawan namin ‘to, bibitawan ng pulis ‘to e” (If we give up on
this, the police won’t do anything), said Arnell Ozaeta, of Philippine
Star in Batangas and member of the Batangas Newswriters Association. Ozaeta
said killers of journalists go scot-free knowing that law authorities
would look the other way. What is worse, he said, killings go on because
nothing is solved anyway. Strong
Republic Some
participants in the discussion asked if the killings are a pattern in
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s ”Strong Republic.” Joe Cortez, a
magazine writer, said that he only remembers Adolf Hitler when talking
about the “strong republic.” Others
noted that there could be many incidents of harassment that remain
unreported. Mhuck Gaveta, a colleague of slain journalist Manalo, and
another who now hides for fear of her life, feared they might suffer the
same fate met by their friend. Manalo’s
colleagues believed that the reason behind his death was his story titled,
“Gusto ko nang sumuko ngunit…papatayin nila ako” (I want to
give up…but they’ll kill me) published in Veritas. The story
was based on an interview with the president of the Association of
Barangay Captains (ABC) who had killed, in his line of duty, an aide of an
influential businessman. His colleagues said Manalo could have earned the
businessman’s ire for airing the barangay captain’s side. In
a recent national TV interview, Gayeta pointed to an “influential man”
as being behind Manalo’s killing. “Kilala namin s’ya pero mahirap
magsalita” (We know who he is but it’s difficult to say). He began
receiving death threats after the TV talk. He thought he was being tailed
by suspicious-looking men in several occasions. Manalo’s
other colleague was forced to go on leave for a week. Men who refused to
identify themselves had called their office several times asking for the
female journalist’s address, car plate number and other information. Net25
anchor Arlyn dela Cruz also reported that PNP Director General Hermohenes
Ebdane had advised journalists “Kung alam n’yo nang mainit
kayo,’wag na kayong bumanat” (If you know you’re “hot,” stop
criticizing). She also wondered why Interior and Local Government
Secretary Angeloe Reyes said he saw no trend in the media killings. Referring
to the officials’ remarks, the NUJP said in a statement: "That is
not a solution to the continuing assaults. (Their) prescription falls in
directly with what the enemies of press freedom want: a cowed, cringing,
silent press." NUJP
treasurer May Rodriguez, on the other hand, called the fellow
journalists’ attention that not only are journalists being killed but
also lawyers, judges and other professionals. “They kill lawyers. They
kill judges. They kill journalists. Is there a trend? Is this not
something to be worried about?” she asked. Earlier,
the NUJP castigated the PNP for its proposal to arm journalists. The group
said it is “a virtual admission by the law-enforcement authorities of
how inutile they are against those that seek to silence the press of this
country.” While
criticizing officials’ reactions to the continued murders of Filipino
journalists, the NUJP members agreed to come up with independent actions
to address the killings. Among other plans, the NUJP agreed to form an investigating committee that will probe into the cases of killings and harassments of media workers and to ask Congress to investigate. Bulatlat We want to know what you think of this article.
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