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Sunday, March 19, 2006
Cabaero: Investigation as sedition
By Nini B. Cabaero
Beyond 30
The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) is a news outfit that devotes itself to investigative reporting and to being an alternative to traditional media. For doing its job well, the PCIJ has reaped awards, national and international, over the years.
In the course of its reporting, the PCIJ has contributed to major policy and political changes, the most memorable of them the investigation of mansions of then President Joseph Estrada. Although Estrada had reportedly exerted effort to try to influence traditional media, he was at a loss on how to put pressure on the PCIJ.
This was because the PCIJ did not subsist on corporate or government advertising that had become in some cases the pitfall of traditional media. This was because the PCIJ, unlike the tabloids, had followed the paper trail and had required the counterchecking of facts before releasing reports on the Estrada mansions. So, the PCIJ went on its merry way of investigating corruption and other anomalies.
Some months ago, the PCIJ started to feel the pinch. Its blog, where it had posted the “Hello Garci” recordings that alleged electoral fraud by President Arroyo, got hacked. The unauthorized posting on its blog page did not seem to be the work of some geek out on an ego trip. Sheila Coronel, PCIJ executive director, wondered about the timing of the hacker as it happened when the blog carried discussions about the “Garci” recordings.
Then, controversial digital audio engineer Jonathan Tiongco, who had said the “Hello Garci” tapes had been tampered with, filed libel charges against PCIJ. This led to a temporary restraining order on PCIJ that directed the removal of the “libelous” article on Tiongco from its website.
Last week, Coronel appeared before a Senate body to report that a police outfit had applied for a search warrant on PCIJ and that some of her journalists were to be named in a complaint for inciting to sedition. She described the moves as harassment and something that took them away from their basic task of investigative reporting.
The travails of PCIJ show that investigative journalism is not welcome to some of those in power. Without those complications, investigation done by journalists could be a tool for democracy.
Investigation plays a key role in a free society. It becomes unwanted only if the democracy is not strong enough or if democracy rests of unstable, delicate ground.
(Ms. Cabaero can be reached at e-mail address ninicab@ sunstar.com.ph)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (March 19, 2006 issue)
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