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Saturday, December 11, 2004
Oro media seeks gun permits from police
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
TWO huge media organizations here in the region are now poised to request Philippine National Police Region 10 (PNP-10) director Dante Tejada permits for journalists to carry firearms in public.
Senator Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel, Jr. said "guns-for-hire" against media practitioners kill with "impunity" in Mindanao.
In separate interviews with Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro, Cagayan de Oro Press Club (COPC) president Jerry Orcullo and Philippine National Police Press Corps 10 (PNP Press Corps-10) chairman Micheal Bustamante were both one in proposing for the arming of journalists.
"COPC joins all forms of protest actions by whatever group, much more by National Union of Journalists in the Philippines, in condemning the series of media killings and harassments recently taking place nowadays even as I urge media men to carry weapons for self-protection," Orcullo said.
Bustamante who is also the operations manager of dxIF Bombo Radyo expressed apprehensions that the situation facing journalists here in Mindanao is not exactly the same as those in Visayas and Luzon.
He cited how out of the 12 journalists killed this year most of them were Mindanao media practitioners.
"Lisud na gyud kaayo karon nga panahon hilabina kanato mga media diri sa Mindanao (Times right now are really very hard on journalists particularly those living here in Mindanao like us)," he said.
Of the 11 journalists killed since January this year, Pimentel noted that four came from Mindanao.
They were Jonathan Abayon killed in General Santos City on Aug.
8; Ely Binoya, General Santos City June 17; Eddy Sablas, Surigao del Sur, Oct. 19; and Gener Boyd Lumawang, Jolo, Nov. 12.
Other slain journalists were: Ruel Endrinal, Albay, Feb 11; Roger Mariano, Ilocos Norte, July 31; Arnel Manalo, August 5; Fernando Consignado, Laguna, August 12; Romy Binungkal, Bataan, August 20; Michael Llorin, Quezon City, Nov 13; and Herson Hinolan, Aklan, Nov 13.
Bustamante and Orcullo said they are now coming up with a letter requesting Tejada to allow media practitioners to carry firearms.
Meanwhile, Pimentel who was also a media practitioner in his younger days said he is convinced that the threat of assassination against journalists will be greatly curbed if gangs of mercenary killers will be dismantled by lawmen.
In Mindanao, he said the modus operandi is for two hit men to ride a motorcycle enabling them to attack their target and to escape with speed and greater mobility.
He said several broadcasters have been killed by motorcycle-riding assassins, indicating that they are part of organized guns-for-hire groups.
For him, the police is on the right track in creating a task force that will go after killers of journalists.
"But President Arroyo should make good on her promise to use part of her intelligence fund and other funds to reward informants who can provide leads on the identities and whereabouts of the killers of newsmen," he said.
Pimentel also advised law enforcers to discard the "ningas-cogon" mentality in dealing with the problem, saying they should promptly provide security to journalists who request for help in the face of death threats.
He suggested that the police task force should have a liaison officer with the National Press Club and other organizations of journalists for the purpose of taking preventive steps when journalists are under risk of physical harm.
(December 11, 2004 issue)
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