By Alex Villafania
INQUIRER.net
A DAY after an apparent news embargo on the abduction of ABS-CBN reporter Ces Drilon, two of her crew and a professor from the Mindanao State University, the online Filipino community of bloggers and forums is already alive with exchanges about their fates. Some offered prayers and praises for her while others speculated as to the purpose of the media blackout.
Since Monday, there has been speculation regarding the alleged abduction. Forums such as PinoyExchange.com and Peyups.com have dedicated threads on the issue and have been exchanging ideas since June 9. One member of Peyups.com posted a story from the online version of The Mindanao Examiner, though some members questioned the veracity of the story, stating that they have not picked up the story from other news websites and that it could be a hoax.
It was on June 9 when ABS-CBN executives “requested” other media outfits to embargo the story until 6 a.m. of June 10, stating concerns about the safety of Drilon and her companions. This was also later criticized by some Peyups.com and Pinoyexchange.com members.
Nevertheless, they still offered their sympathies and hoped that the abducted group would be released unharmed.
A few bloggers have started discussing the story. Warrior Lawyer’s blog post stressed the dangers of journalists going after stories, especially in war-torn areas, noting the story of American journalist Daniel Pearl who was beheaded by his abductors in Iraq.
“…the safety of all journalists is our collective concern. Without them, our democracy risks being reduced, in the words of Chief Justice Puno, to the ’sovereignty of the deaf and the dumb,’” Warrior Lawyer said.
Others criticized the apparent media blackout on the abduction. Willie Galang saw the embargo on the story as a form of control by a media institution. “Look who’s doing news blackouts now! Look who’s asking everyone concerned to be circumspect on their brand of journalism! I never thought these words would actually be part of an official statement from ABS-CBN. It just appears funny coming from the not-so-responsible network itself.”
Some critics had less-than-kind words for Drilon, the company she works for and the media in general. One comment on the blog post of Ellen Tordesillas states: “By the way, why is it that whenever someone gets kidnapped (not from media), the media is all over it even on the pleadings of the victim’s family not to report it. But when it’s their own who gets kidnapped they had a news blackout? Their reason? “… with utmost consideration for the safety of our news team” Whoa.. as if the other victims safety is of no importance to them. Sorry guys can’t help it. I knew someone who has been kidnapped before and these media outfits are like leeches.. the relatives just couldn’t shake them off!!!”
Another comment on a Tagpuan.com blog post disapproved of media’s continuous efforts to take dangerous assignments without security detail:”Very irresponsible kasi, dapat laging may kasamang security or any provincial police pag pumupunta sa mga liblilb na lugar sa Pilipinas… Yan ang advice ng government sa mga journalist, pero hindi nakikinig ang ABS [CBN]…”
June 26th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
My last thoughts on this issue….
In a cloak-and-dagger world of competing network companies here and abroad, it has become customary already to focus on a more controversial issue that hardly makes sense than concentrating on hard hitting issues and commentaries that may help to finally awaken the minds of all of us and decide on the next election to vote for the right person…..what is happening right now is that the many faces of poverty only appear as embellishments to featured stories on some known terrorists or corruptors….
Terrorists just like serial killers thrive on public attention…they use the media to gain public sympathy hiding from some made up stories on life’s ups and downs…this is precisely what Ces Drilon and company intend to do in Sulu, to be a useful instrument for these evil creatures to send their evil messages to the whole world…
Now that it is over and done with, what’s next? I strongly recommend to Ces Drilon and company to go to Sulu, of course this time with security, to hunt down those who kidnapped them not to prosecute but to know what they have done with their ransom money…what the hell am I talking about?…..
You see they justified kidnapping people due to poverty, correct?…..then maybe after a month or so, with their substantial ransom money, they should have started cultivating farm lands, or have a poulrty or hogs to raise, or fishing boat to fish or maybe just starting to build a decent house with a small sari-sari store on the side…just a small hint of these activities being undertaken by these supposedly kidnappers could really prove that they meant to overcome poverty by involving in kidnapping….in the sense what happened to Ces Drilon and company will not prove futile at all….
But the probability of this from happening is almost nil….kidnapping offers easy money than tilling a piece of land from dawn to sun-down or cleaning animal manure….what is so sad about this kidnapping story is that this bunch of bird-brain criminals is supposed to represent the face of poverty in the whole of Mindanao…..how so insulting?….
I believe that our Muslim brothers are as poor as the rest of us but they too believe on honest to goodness hardwork as the only way to success and good life….if only they could have that P20M…not as a ransom.. but as a financial grant…P20M could have helped them buy seedlings and fertilizers….P20M can be used to finance an alternative livelihood programs to the poor families until the government can implement a more sustainable solution to the problems in the agriculture and fishing sectors…….
Think while feeling….it’s the only way to truly comprehend what is happening around us…..adieu…..
June 25th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Ms. Lorna Enriquez, I was vindicated having read some of the comments…don’t bend your ire to me alone…read also others comments and you will realize that I am not alone in expressing my disturbing ideas on what happened in Sulu….grow up people….be accepting of the truth so we’ll all be free…
June 21st, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Sa DZRH ko narinig ang kidnapping at I was surprised that ABS-CBN tried to “suppress” it where in fact, their journalists (Maria Ressa and etc.) are at the forefront of press freedom ha! Remember when that mutinous senator of ours walked out of the Makati courtroom towards the Makati hotel? Ces Drilon emphatically said that had she had known, she won’t be wearing high heels! Maria Ressa lambasted the government for preventing journalists to cover the event.
ABS-CBN usually sends their attack dogs, but when it comes to their own, mukhang very tame ang mga reporters nila.
Sa susunod, ask what Arlene de la cruz(?) learned from her kidnapping!
At saka, marunong din palang mag-Tagalog si Ces at ngayon ko lang nakita na walang make-up
June 20th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
The drama that unfolded during the 9 days of captivity of Drilon, et. al., brings us to realize certain truths about this event.
1. That freedom of the press, as strong as it may seem, is conveniently being used and misused, for a network’s own intentions. Remember that during the Manila Pen siege, it was the same Ces Drilon who stood up against authorities claiming that they are trouncing up on media’s right to INFORM the public of what is really happening. Now, it is the same Ces Drilon, who admitted, because of this humiliating experience, that she has been careless and irresponsible in what she did, that in her obsession to get a news item, she has put her life, and the lives of several people at risk! Didn’t she think of the lives of the innocent civilians who were caught up in the crossfire during the manila pen mutiny at that time?
2. ABS CBN stresses the value of press freedom as a primordial end in maintaing transparency and democracy and yet, during the time that their staff was captured, the same station called for an embargo in news reporting, just so as not to jeopardize negotiations. Who is now being inconsistent?
3. ABS CBN as well as the government took a hardline stance on not wilting to the bandits’ pressure and give ransom money. After Ces’ release, it was noted that a good 5 million was given to the kidnappers (tongpats included). Where is fairness and truth in reporting here?
4. On the Sulu Governor’s call that ABS CBN issue a formal apology for creating such a big headache to the people of Sulu, the station retorted that it only did what it was supposed to do and went as far as saying that it was the governor and not the station who embarassed its province and therefore, should be the one giving the apology. One cannot perceive how arrogant this station is. Breaching a protocol in reporting in the light of possible security threats is not only IRRESPONSIBLE but outright STUPID. Yet, the station has the temerity to condemn the governor who is just doing his job of maintaing peace and order in his part of town
June 19th, 2008 at 9:53 am
That is so insensitive of you to say that, Ella Del Rosario!!! so how do you feel now?