Tuesday, January 02, 2007 NUJP to conduct probe on allegations v. two Antique journalists By Jay Dooma Balnig
THE National Union of Journalists of the Philippines-Iloilo Chapter will conduct an investigation on the alleged media harassment in Antique.
The probe came after the Antique Provincial Board declared two local media practitioners, Ely Suyom and Rey Alcalde as "personas non grata" due to the allege abuses made by the journalists.
Earlier, several legal personalities surmised that said move had no legal basis and was a violation of the constitutional rights of the media men concerned, as well as that of the freedom of the press.
NUJP-Iloilo Chair, Nestor Burgos, a correspondent of Philippine Daily Inquirer will spearhead the two-man team to conduct the probe on the first week of January.
The organization's effort to conduct impartial investigation aimed to determine the issue on the alleged suppression of freedom and the alleged abuse of media in dealing with government officials.
After the said probe, the NUJP Iloilo will come out with its official stand on the issue.
Last provincial board's regular session on December 7, Board Member Juanita de la Cruz authored a resolution declaring Alcalde, publisher/editor of Newsbreak and Suyom, bureau chief of News Express and Manila Times correspondent, as personas non grata in the province of Antique.
As a result, the two are banned from covering the regular sessions and committee hearings conducted by the provincial board. They are also blacklisted and disqualified from participating in the publications, advertisements and promotions of the province of Antique.
This said resolution stemmed from the publication of a story that indicated how de la Cruz continued to get the salary of a member of her staff identified as Isabel Vego, when the latter was no longer reporting for duty at the Provincial Board since May. The said salary item instead went to the driver of de la Cruz.
