DAVAO - Journalists covering the fire at the Department of Psychiatry of the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), more commonly referred to as the Mental Hospital in Davao City, had their attentions turned when hospital personnel grabbed Sun.Star Davao photojournalist, took his camera by force, and erased the photos taken of the fire.
King Rodriguez was but one of many mediamen covering the fire.
The fire was reported at 6:36 a.m. at the female ward of the hospital at the corner of J.P. Laurel and Sta. Ana Avenues.
Rodriguez was busy taking photos of the incident when a certain Dr. Joseph Villanueva ordered his staff to take his camera and delete all the photos he took.
Rodriguez said one personnel grabbed the camera from him while a security guard held his back and handed this to a certain Ralph Ramuel Montilla.
Rodriguez said it was Montilla who deleted all the photos in his camera.
Villanueva refused to give his name and why he had the photos deleted when confronted by Rodriguez's fellow photographers -- led by Seth delos Reyes of Sun.Star Superbalita -- and television crew members who went to his aid.
It was only later when Villanueva was identified as the head of the department.
Rodriguez said he was accosted by Villanueva who asked him to stop taking photos of the patients who were temporarily placed outside the facility while the fire was being put out.
Rodriguez said he told Villanueva that he was not taking photos of the faces of the patients.
"Ang gikuhaan nako kay ang likod sa pasyente samtang ginahatagan og pagkaon (I only took photos of the back of the patient while he was given food)," he said.
With a psychiatric facility in flames, top-most among the concern of the residents will be how the patients are doing.
"I stick to my position to get news," Rodriguez said.
Sun.Star had never been faulted to publishing photos that degrade people, whether minors, those with disabilities, diseases, and other situations that people tend to judge others by.
SPMC chief Dr. Leopoldo Vega, in a phone interview, told Sun.Star Superbalita that he wasn't aware about what happened between his staff and Rodriguez.
"I don't think nga ingon ana gyud ka-drastic ang nahitabo. Wala ko kahibalo kung unsa gyud ang order. Pero, ako silang pangitaon karon. Ako ning imbestigahan (I don't think it happened drastically. I don't know how it happened. But, I will look for them now. I will investigate this)," Vega said.
It was also learned that a cameraman from ABS-CBN Davao and another photojournalist, Robinson Niñal of Mindanao Daily Mirror, were also accosted by Villanueva.
Villanueva also told the cameraman not to take video clips of the patients.
"Or else, I will smash the camera," Villanueva allegedly told the ABS-CBN cameraman.
"Nagkuha mi og picture didto dapit sa mga nagtapok nga nurse. Ingon sila nga bawal mao to nga mibalik mi sa among agi (We took photos near where the nurses were. They told us that it's not allowed, so we left)," Niñal told Sun.Star Davao Superbalita in a separate phone interview.
When the photographers left, the hospital's staff approached them and grabbed their cameras.
"Giingnan ko nga i-delete ang pictures. Akong giingnan nga sige, sir, akong i-delete, pero iya gihapon nga gibira mao to nga midagan ko. Ug si King ang ilang nadakpan (They asked me to delete the pictures. So, I told them that I will delete them myself. But they still grabbed my camera. That's why I ran away from them and they only caught King)," Niñal said.
Rodriguez earlier declined to have the story published saying he’d prefer to just gather news and not be the news, but later prevailed, because what happened to him was actually an attack on the press.
Among those who witnessed the scene was Super Radyo commentator Francis Bayer, who was also covering the fire.
"Wala ko nakauyon sa ilang gihimo. Usa ko sa mga media nga nakasaway sa ila (I do not like what they did. I’m among the mediamen there who deplored what they did)," Bayer said.
Fellow Sun.Star Davao photographer Seth delos Reyes, who was also there, asked the men why they grabbed Rodriguez’s camera and they said they were just ordered by their superior whom they identified as Dr. Joseph Villanueva.
"Akong giduol gyud si Villanueva. Akong gipangutana nganong ingon ato ang iyang gihimo, pero wa na siya mitubag, wala sab mihatag sa iyang pangalan (I approached Villanueva and asked him why they did that, but he refused to reply. He even refused to give his name)," delos Reyes said although he is sure that the one who ordered was Montilla.
Even the cameramen of ABS-CBN and TV5 were ordered not to show any footage on television for unexplained reason.
SPMC director Dr. Leopoldo Vega was later called about the issue, but he said he was not aware of such incident.
With regards the patients in the psychiatric department, Vega said, the female patients were moved to a multi-purpose hall of the SPMC as they only needed psychiatric help and some medications. Those who were already recuperating and only needed medication were discharged, while 18 male patients who need acute care are planned to be moved to a private facility.
Initial estimate of fire damage was P2 million according to Senior Fire Officer Orencio Grado of the Bureau of Fire Protection. (Sun.Star Davao)