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Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Media groups, senator hit board for reporter ban
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
LOCAL media organizations and Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. slammed the Misamis Oriental Provincial Board and Governor Oscar Moreno for signing a resolution banning reporter Lito Rulona from covering the board session.
In a meeting held by the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP) regional chapter Tuesday, the members agreed to draft a resolution condemning Rulona's ban.
Cagayan de Oro City Councilor Zaldy Ocon, also Radio Mindanao Network acting manager, said he will support any counter moves against those who signed the resolution.
Gold Star Daily editor-in-chief Herbie Gomez said the Provincial Board should have sent them a letter complaint to look into the story written by its reporter.
"If they sent a letter, we would have been duty bound to check their complaint," he said.
But Rulona, he added, is standing by his earlier story that drew flak from the Provincial Board and Moreno who signed the assailed resolution.
Alsa Media Dos, Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP)-Cagayan de Oro, Cagayan de Oro Press Club (COPC), and NUJP-Cagayan de Oro assailed Provincial Board Resolution 69-2006 banning Rulona from covering board sessions.
Alsa Media Dos convener Jerry Orcullo said the banning of Rulona from the Provincial Board session hall not only shamed Rulona but also the media community and the people who elected these officials into power.
He said their organization supports Rulona and Gomez in whatever countermeasures they will initiate against these officials who violated the rights of Rulona as a media practitioner.
"Just because they did not like the news article or that they feel the news article was fabricated they can now ban a media practitioner from covering the session halls? I do not know what gave them the impression that they have such powers over the media," said Orcullo.
"If they can do this to a simple journalist what more to someone who cannot defend themselves," he added.
KBP chairman Junas Bustamante who witnessed how Rulona was almost booted out from the board session hall Tuesday said what happened was deplorable and an attack against press freedom.
COPC president Uriel Quilinguing and vice-president for print Joey Nacalaban said the resolution banning Rulona is an attack on press freedom.
"Proceedings of legislative bodies must be made transparent to the public. Its members have the obligation to inform every taxpayer what they are doing," Quilinguing said.
He added that what happened to Rulona can even constitute legal grounds for the filing of action against those responsible officials.
NUJP president Susan Palmes said it condemns this resolution as "violative of the freedom of expression and access to public information on matters of public concern."
"NUJP is going to question it. Formal statement will follow," she said.
Even Pimentel himself who was once a media practitioner said in a text message to Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro Tuesday: "There is a need to remind the Provincial Board that freedom of the press exists in this country. If they have a complaint against him (Rulona), let them air it openly and sue him if necessary."
(September 13, 2006 issue)
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