Journalist Harassed, Abused in Olongapo
(Published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Dated April 11, 2001)
THE OLONGAPO-SUBIC chapter of the national union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) condemns in the strongest terms the harassment of our colleagues, Bet Marcelo of the INQUIRER, done by no less than Olongapo City mayor Katherine H. Gordon.
We also express our deep concern
over the safety of other practicing journalists in the city who have experienced
the same harassment and humiliation at the hands of local officials and
raid supporters of Mayor Gordon.
In a memo sent to her editors, Marcelo narrated how she was harassed and
prevented from entering the Subic Bay Freeport Zone on march 8 by people
who barricaded the Freeport. Mayor Gordon, who was there with her suppoerters,
reportedly turned to the crowd and shouted, "Eto si Bet Marcelo ng
INQUIRER, sinansabi mga bayaran daw kayo!"
According to marcelo, she feared for the safety of her family while she was harassed. Her daughter, who was with her in a jeep, "dropped her head on my chest, apparently scared by the commotion and the sight of so many people gathered around us who were shouting." At about that time, someone was already trying to open the rear door of the jeep.
Marcelo added in her memo that "that kind of pronouncement from Mayor Gordon before that crowd was a death sentence." Only the timely interncession of Olongapo City information officer Mike Pusing spared Marcelo from being lynched by the mob agitated by no less than the city mayor.
Earlier that day, the same people, this time escorted by City Vice mayor Cynthia Cajudo, forced their way into a radio station and harassed a group of radio broadcasters of radio station dwHL led by Tino Dimaano who also writes for the national daily, Today.
The crowd also prevented two other members of the local media, Betty Bendicion, Johnny Reblando and Bert Amoroso, photographer of Diaryo Uno, from entering the Freeport.
A day after, en Velarmino of the Philippines Star and Miranda de Quiros of ABS-CBN News Channel (and daughter of INQUIRER columnist Conrado de Quiros), were also subjected to verbal abuse by Mayor Gordon. Ironically, this was the time when mayor Gordon was apologizing to Marcelo for her earlier misconduct.
The local chapter of the NUJP views these incidents with grave concern and vows to close ranks with other media organizations and call on the editors of national dallies to support local correspondents and other media workers in preventing the Gordons and those who have the power and influence from interfering with the search for and reporting of truth.
We call on all practicing journalists to be true to their calling, remain vigilant and unite to defeat all attempts to curtail our right to freedom of expression.
ANSBERT JOAQUIN
President
National Union of Journalists of the Philippines-Subic Chapter
Olongapo City
Also Published in "TODAY", Dated April 1, 2001 (Journalists Protest mayor's Actions)
