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Sunday, November 14, 2004
Slain lensman may have been mistaken for military agent
By Ben O. Tesiorna and Aurea Gerundio
DAVAO CITY -- The photojournalist gunned down in Jolo Friday could have been mistaken by the suspect/s as a military agent.
This is one of the angles authorities are looking into in determining the motive behind the killing of MindaNews photojournalist Gene Boyd R. Lumawag in downtown Jolo Friday afternoon.
"No one in the crime scene could say how it happened," said Carolyn Arguillas, chairman of MindaNews, who was also in Jolo.
Arguillas, who was in her hotel room at the time, said in a statement she was told by army investigators they suspected an "urban terrorist group" from the Abu Sayyaf, a Muslim extremist group linked to al-Qaeda was behind the killing.
"He was on his way to shoot the sunset from the pier of Jolo when felled by a lone bullet from a caliber .45 handgun," Arguillas said. "Gene Boyd was looking forward to his first coverage of eidl fitr, the celebration marking the end of the (Muslim) holy month of Ramadan."
Unconfirmed reports showed Lumawag was shot simply for taking pictures of the mosque near the pier.
MindaNews, however, clarified that Lumawag was shot dead after he had gone to the pier because his digital camera already contained sunset shots.
Amy Cabusao, a board member of MindaNews, said Arguillas and Lumawag were in Jolo to interview officials as part of a video documentary project on transparency, accountability and governance in the southern Mindanao region for The Asia Foundation, a US-based non-government group that seeks to foster development in the Asia-Pacific region.
Cabusao said Arguillas and Lumawag received no threats from any group during their trip.
Father Jonathan Domingo, a priest from Tawi-tawi and head of the Sulu-Tawi-tawi Broadcasting Foundation, said Lumawag's case is just one of the many shooting incidents that happened in Jolo, which until now remain unsolved.
Domingo recounted how a vendor selling his wares was also gunned down by an assailant simply because he was suspected of being a military asset.
The priest said the same thing happened to two of their colleagues with the suspects still at large.
Another angle being looked into is the alleged practice of some Muslims of taking the life of a non-Muslim during Ramadhan.
"It's a common knowledge na sa Jolo during Ramadhan meron talagang mamamatay dun," said a resident of Jolo who requested anonymity.
Domingo said this is however practiced only by Muslims who do not know and adhere to the teachings of Islam.
Investigators, on the other hand, are pursuing two angles--that Lumawag could have been a victim of mistaken identity or was killed by a group out to snuff out photojournalists for their coverage in Jolo.
Col. Domingo Tutaan, chief of staff and spokesperson of the Southern Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said Saturday that there are already suspects in the killing of Lumawag.
He, however, refused to divulge further information regarding the suspects.
Tutaan said the military and the police are jointly conducting investigation on the incident as to arrest Lumawag's perpetrators and to give justice to this "senseless killing."
The arrival
A military Nomad plane from Jolo to Davao City airlifted the body of 26-year-old Lumawag on Saturday afternoon.
The casket bearing Lumawag's remains touched down at the Davao International Airport shortly before 3 p.m.
Arriving with Lumawag is Carolyn Arguillas, editor of MindaNews, who was with the victim in Jolo when the incident happened.
The young Lumawag was met by his father, Rene, and younger brother Tyrone.
After a short necrological service, Lumawag's body was then transported to the Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes, where his remains will lie.
The father said they will not open Gene Boyd's casket for public viewing adding they want his son to be remembered when he was still alive.
Culture of vultures
Gene Boyd's father, Tatay Rene, said he has accepted the death of his son.
"That's part of the reality that there's a culture of vultures in that area with people who are sensitive but not sensible. He had a senseless death," Tatay Rene said.
The father said his only wish now is for authorities to find out the real story surrounding the death of his son.
Presidential Assistant for Mindanao Jesus Dureza, meanwhile, assured the Lumawag family that they are doing their best to get the suspect/s.
He said the military had arrested one suspect Friday night but refused to confirm if the arrested suspect was indeed involved in Lumawag's death.
A resident of Jolo, who is in the city, however told Sun.Star Davao that getting justice in Jolo is not that easy.
"It's very hard to get the real story in Jolo. It's almost lawless there. Ang police useless. Ang Marines nahihirapan din dun dahil tinataga nga sila at kinukuha ang baril nila," said the Jolo resident.
Attack on independent journalism
Meanwhile, the Cebu-based Multi-purpose Cooperative for Journalists and Media Workers (C4J) Saturday said the killing Lumawag was an attack on independent journalism.
Lawyer Rex JMA Fernandez, C4J board chairman, said in a statement that Lumawag's killing proved how some people cannot stomach the practice of independent journalism exemplified by MindaNews, the Mindanao media cooperative Lumawag worked for.
MindaNews is the news service arm of the Mindanao News and Information Cooperative Center chaired by Davao journalist Carolyn O. Arguillas.
As a media cooperative, it is owned and managed by journalists.
The C4J, composed of Cebu practitioners in print, broadcast and online, partnered with the Mindanao media cooperative in 2001 for the holding of seminars in Davao city on computer-assisted journalism.
Other C4J officers are Myke Obenieta, Josua Cabrera, Cio Datan and Ian Manticajon of the board, and Nini Cabaero and Faronah Bojos of management.
Fernandez said Lumawag worked for an organization of independent and professional journalists who believe in people empowerment through media.
It was unfortunate that the killers of Lumawag did not agree with this noble mission, he added.
Lumawag's death would only rally media cooperatives to move on in their quest for the practice of good journalism, Fernandez said.
Last month, radio commentator Eldy Sablas, also known as Eldy Gabinales, was shot in Tandag town in Surigao del Sur province, also in Mindanao.
No suspect has been arrested in the killing of Sablas, who was a vocal critic of illegal drug trade and gambling in his town.
With Sablas' killing, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said "this year is the worst year for Filipino journalists."
By the count of a local media organization, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, Lumawag would be the 58th journalist slain since democracy was restored in the country in 1986. He was the ninth to be killed this year. (With reports from AP and PR)
(November 14, 2004 issue)
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