Saturday, June 24, 2006
Speakout: Press Freedom under attack in Zamboanga
THE Zamboanga media community protested the persecution by verbally attacking, berating, insulting in public place of one of its colleagues, Mr. Marion "Jun" Feliciano, of Radyo ng Bayan and Zamboanga Star, by a member of the city's legislative branch, Councilor Abdurahman Nuno, at a time when the City Council was on session on June 15, 2006.
On session or not, the newsmen are one in condemning this act of Councilor Nuno. For them, his actuation is an attack on Press Freedom, per se.
Mr. Feliciano, who was at the Council for his regular coverage of the session, was rather met by unkind words and insulted by no less than a public servant.
Whatever Mr. Jun Feliciano wrote that caught the ire of Councilor Nuno is not for us to defend, neither the person of Jun Feliciano. We speak here of Mr. Jun Feliciano, as a newsman, a reporter, an editor, the media as a whole, and, in general, of Freedom of the Press.
What is between Councilor Nuno and Mr. Feliciano is beyond our purpose and intention in coming out with this a manifesto of protest. Ours is to point out that Press Freedom is alive in the City of Flowers, and that Councilor Nuno's actuation is unacceptable to the media.
The barangay chairmen in this city, Nuno being their representative at the City Council, have not placed him in public office with immunity from criticisms, scrutiny and assessment of his performance and actuations. He and his family are within the public eye, and the media have the right to scrutinize what he and his family are doing.
Again, the harassment that took place at the City Council during the regular session is the subject of this manifesto, not the issue raised by Mr. Feliciano.
Witnesses account said Councilor Nuno pointed his finger on Mr. Feliciano's face, unmindful of the ongoing session, violating procedure, berating Mr. Feliciano in the midst of other public officials, employees, and other people who were attending the council session.
According to information obtained by us and from what we saw on television, Councilor Nuno's aide was equally furious, and that his stance was one that was wanting and able to hurt Mr. Feliciano, if not kept sober.
We remind Councilor Nuno that he is a public servant, and berating, insulting, and whatever kind of attack on the media is crucial to Press Freedom.
Whatever motivation there is in Mr. Feliciano, in the light of his writing the article is not the question being raised here. However, it is not by coincidence, though, that we take the side of Mr. Feliciano. It is our obligation, as mediamen, to fight for Press Freedom; else, the incident could be precedence, as we remind the public, as well, as the authorities of the many cases of assassinations of our colleagues in this city and elsewhere in the country.
We, therefore, ask -- collectively and united -- that the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Zamboanga takes the necessary action to correct the impression that the august body tolerates such kind of actuation within its midst.
It is now up to the Honorable Vice Mayor MA. Isabelle Climaco, as the presiding officer, to lead her colleagues in showing to the public that they uphold Press Freedom, and that any form of attack on the members of the Fourth Estate is highly unacceptable in a democratic institution such as the City Council.
We, the media of Zamboanga City, refuse to believe that the City Council, the bastion of democracy in the city, is a hostile environment for the media -- unless it will allow such incident to pass without any action.
Freedom of the Press must continue to reign in Zamboanga.
(June 24, 2006 issue)
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