BEHIND THE SCENES

Gen. Martin ‘exaggerating’ on ‘media harassment’?
ALFRED P. DIZON

(A little more than a week ago, two members of the Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club were allegedly harassed by the vice mayor of Alfonso Lista, Ifugao and his minions who allegedly “poked” their guns at them. Below is an article on the matter from the BCBC emailed to us.)

The Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club in a statement asked the regional police office and Ifugao officials to help in shedding light to the incident last week where a vice mayor allegedly poked his gun at two Baguio-based journalists as well as threatening them that forced them to flee from his residence for fear of their lives.

Alfonso Lista Vice Mayor Celemente Polig was identified by Malaya correspondents Ma. Elena Catajan and Redjie Cawis as the executive who pointed his gun at them while they were interviewing him at his residence last May 8 during the town’s celebration of the Ammung Festival.

Before any actions are taken, we would like to ask the Police Regional Office Cordillera, through regional police director Chief Supt. Eugene Martin, and the offices of Ifugao governor Teodoro Baguilat, Jr. and Rep. Solomon Chungalao to help in the investigation to be able to establish what really transpired, said BCBC President Pigeon Lobien in a statement.

Lobien was quoted in a local daily earlier this week that the club will coordinate efforts with the Cordillera Tourism Press Corps, an organization to which the two harassed media persons are members, in seeking for the clarification of the matter and before any actions are taken.

Lobien has recently talked with his counterpart at the CTPC, Manila Standard Today photo-correspondent Rick Reyes, and agreed that they take part in a planned forum between Polig and the two journalists.

We will suspend any action until we are given the full account, Lobien said as he said that all stories must have both sides of the stories.

While they are members of the BCBC, the CTPC and of the journalism community, we believe that we also should take into account that Polig has something to say. We want to be open to what he might be saying, he added.

The local daily said Polig refused to comment but is amenable to a forum or dialogue where he could also air his side. Chungalao offered to mediate, while other Ifugao officials said they will also help in the investigation.

Earlier, Reyes met with the two aggrieved journalists, Director Puficacion Molintas and Director Helen Tibaldo of the Philippine Information Agency Cordillera, where Cawis is also employed. Catajan, a past president of the BCBC, was in Alfonso Lista, May 8, with Cawis to cover the Ammung festival at the behest of Molintas and town mayor Charles Cattilig.

They sought to interview Polig because he is a descendant of the town’s first mayor and namesake.
***
(Below is a statement on the matter by the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines headed by its chairperson Jose Torres Jr. and secretary general Rowena Paraan.)

The harassment of Malaya correspondent Ma. Elena Catajan and the Philippine Information Agency's Redgie Cawis by Alfonso Lista, Ifugao Vice Mayor Clarence Polig and his cohorts illustrates very clearly how the culture of impunity in this country is allowed to flourish and embolden those who would wish to suppress the free Philippine press.

According to Catajan, a drunken Polig and his bodyguards drew guns on her and Cawis when they sought an interview on festivities in the town that they had been invited to cover by Mayor Charles Cattling.

The incident, by itself, is a classic example of how, in the Philippines, petty warlord-politicians can lord it over isolated communities, wielding virtual life and death powers that have time and again proven fatal for vigilant community journalists.

It should be noted that most of the media killings in the country have happened in the provinces, where politicians, warlords, corrupt military and police officials, and crime lords – many in collusion with or indistinguishable from each other – rule their own little fiefdoms.

The general inaction to these killings by the national government in faraway Metro Manila, which appears to be inflicted with an "out of sight, out of mind" attitude, if not downright apathy, has only served to embolden these enemies of press freedom. In the case of the harassment of Cawis and Catajan, however, Polig has actually appeared to have received encouragement closer to home, from someone whose sworn duty supposedly is to protect citizens.

Even before a complaint had been filed or an investigation carried out, Cordillera police director Chief Superintendent Eugene Martin has already ruled the two journalists' account of the incident "exaggerated."

How can any ordinary citizen expect protection from our law enforcement agencies when even journalists threatened or worse in the course of their work are brushed aside?

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines demands that the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Philippine National Police immediately investigate the despicable action of the Vice Mayor, Police and the cavalier and unprofessional behavior of Chief Superintendent Martin, and, if warranted, impose the fullest sanctions possible on them.

It is bad enough that so many of our colleagues have fallen in places much like Polig's kingdom. But to have police officers like Martin backing him up can only make it infinitely dangerous not only for journalists but for ordinary citizens. Continued inaction by the national government can only seal more death warrants not just for journalists but for press freedom. ***

My comment: The BCBC article said “a vice mayor allegedly poked his gun at two Baguio-based journalists (Cawis and Catajan) as well as threatening them that forced them to flee from his residence for fear of their lives.” In the second paragraph, it was said the vice mayor ‘pointed” his gun at them.

Now from the NUJP statement: “According to Catajan, a drunken Polig and his bodyguards drew guns on her and Cawis when they sought an interview on festivities in the town that they had been invited to cover by Mayor Charles Cattling.”

I talked to Cawis and this is what he told me: Haan da inturung dagijay paltog da kinyami. Inkasa da isunga timmaray kamin a. (The vice mayor and his minions didn’t poke their guns at us. They cocked their guns so we ran to our vehicle and immediately sped off towards Banaue. If Cawis was telling the truth, the vice mayor and his men didn’t “poke,” “draw” or “point” their guns at him and Catajan. They merely cocked their “guns” presumably to frighten the two.

Now Chief Supt. Martin is under fire from the NUJP for saying reports about the incident were “exaggerated.” The BCBC report for one said Pollig and his men “poked” or “pointed” their guns at Cawis and Catajan while the NUJP said Pollig and his men “drew” their guns. My simple understanding of “poke” means to push, prod or thrust while to “draw” means (in this context) somebody getting one’s gun from a holster, a pocket or a belt. In Ilokano, it could mean inturong which could mean to “point.”

If reports said the guns were “poked, drawn” or “pointed,” then Martin was correct in saying the reports were “exaggerated.” The guns were merely “cocked” – not poked, drawn or pointed.

I don’t think Cawis was lying to me when he told his account about the incident. Martin said the reports were “exaggerated” after he was told by police in the area about their “investigation” on the matter.

The incident should serve as an eye opener to the media to double check their data and use precise words in describing an incident otherwise readers would get a wrong account of what really happened. At the risk of sounding redundant, media organizations should also not issue inaccurate statements and condemn anybody (like Martin) on any incident unless they double check their data.

As to Vice Mayor Pollig: Kitaen yo met a Apo ta haan kayo aginom adu sakayon to agkasakasa paltog yo (no agpayso man inbaga da.) Kitaen yo metlang a ta di kayo agsita “work permit” dagitoy journalists nu apan da dita kingdom yo ta haan da masapul iti “work permit” aggapu munisipyo no agkalap da iti damag. Nu siak siguro, naatake akon iti buteng.Ngem nu napagasatannak, baka nakataray ak dimmanun Baguio nga di oras nga kalla kamkamaten iti nauyong nga aso.

Ps also to Gen. Martin: Could you ask your men to check if the guns of the honorable vice mayor and his men are licensed? We don’t want another cocking incident. Bulang a mabalin pay. Thank you.