Thursday, December 25, 2008 Iloilo media slams attack on TV reporter By Lydia C. Pendon
Local media people here have united to condemn the physical and verbal attacks on GMA 6 television reporter Charlene Belvis by a woman earlier involved in a vehicular incident on December 22, 2008.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)-Iloilo and the Iloilo City Hall Press Corps (ICHPC) jointly said the attacks on Belvis, who was then covering a story, was an assault on press freedom and all journalists who do their responsibilities by covering and reporting events to the public.
As shown by video footages, Belvis, 24, was slapped, pulled by the hair and dragged by Andrea Gorriceta inside the Jaro police compound and in the presence of some policemen.
Belvis, very petite at 4'11", hit her head on the floor and suffered scratches on her arm and bruises on her body and was naturally traumatized by the incident.
In interviews, Gorriceta, 27, justified her actions and said she was irked by the taking of TV video footages despite her protests.
It was reported that Gorriceta was earlier involved in a vehicular incident at MO2 Bar at Smallville in Mandurriao district after she allegedly tried to hit the younger sister of her reported live-in partner. Gorriceta then proceeded to Jaro district where the television crew located her at the Jaro PNP station.
After manhandling Belvis, police officers placed Gorriceta at the PNP Women's Desk where she immediately paid a bail bond for her temporary liberty.
Belvis, with the help of GMA-TV6 management, immediately filed criminal charges against Gorriceta that include grave oral defamation, slander by deeds and physical injuries.
ICHPC said they demand an immediate police investigation of the incident and it is very unfortunate that it happened right at the police station. The city hall press corps is also seeking redress on what happened to Belvis who has long been their member.
On the other hand, the NUJP, in its position paper Tuesday, said that while journalists must avoid unwarranted intrusion on the privacy of persons in the course of news gathering and reporting, the public's right to information must take precedence especially in covering a crime or an incident where a person was hurt and property was damaged.
