Northern Mindanao || X Emano men harass media, Save CDO
Emano men harass media, Save CDO
Friday, 03 February 2012 00:00
BARANGAY officials identified with Mayor Vicente Emano allegedly harassed a TV crew doing a story about mining operations in Tuburan, and volunteers of the citizens' group Save CDO Now gathering signatures for a recall petition in Bonbon. Members of the GMA TV crew--Nef Luczon and cameramen Michael Tolang and Michael Cabulay--said they would file charges against a Tuburuan councilor Roy Yañez who allegedly threatened to attack them with a "burak" (bolo) while they were interviewing the village's chief last Wednesday. Yañez is said to be a brother or a son of Tuburan barangay chairperson Loreza Gaupan whose family are known supporters of Mayor Emano. A former barangay official said there are reports that he is involved in mining activities in Tuburan.
Yesterday, supporters of Emano, including a barangay chairperson, also harassed Save CDO volunteers in Bonbon, said the group's spokesperson, Tito Mora. Save CDO volunteers Sandra Roda, Juliet Albon, Annie Feliciano and Juliet Yagahon said Bonbon barangay chairperson Allan Mabalacad and his supporters came, badmouthed them and then seized a folder containing signed recall petition forms. The volunteers said they argued with Mabalacad and took back the folder after insisting that it was their right to ask people to sign the recall petition.
Mabalacad and his supporters, however, drove them out of the barangay. Mabalacad and his family are closely associated with Emano. He is a member of Emano's PaDayon Pilipino party. Meanwhile, various media groups cried foul and decried the alleged harassment of the TV journalists in Tuburan. "We condemn it in strongest terms. We are all in rage over this recent threat on our fellow media practitioners. We will ask the DILG to investigate the barangay official as our way of ending this culture of impunity," said Art Bonjoc, chairperson of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in Cagayan de Oro.
Rowena Paraan, secretary general of the NUJP, said Tuburuan officials should be held liable for "grave threat." "We (NUJP) will give our support to the TV crew if they will file an administrative case against the barangay officials. Proper action should be done and it should not be taken lightly," Paraan said. NUJP-Mindanao safety officer JB Deveza said they would help the journalists in filing cases against the village councilor. "We condemn the incident, especially in light of Sendong. We will support Nef if he decides to press charges," said Deveza.
Luczon together with Tolang, a cameraman, and Cabulay, went to Tuburuan on the invitation of a concerned Higaonon group led by Ruel Villaverde. Villaverde's group believes that unabated mining operations in the village were a factor for the killer floods that hit the city last December. Luczon said they were working on a documentary for GMA's "Ang Isyu Karon" on the aftermath of Typhoon Sendong. "It was not the first time we've been to the barangay to do a story on mining," said Luczon.
He said he and his crew found a "barge" and recorded on video its sand and gravel operations. "They were blocking the natural path of the Iponan River. We had the chance to document it," said Luczon. He said they were interviewing Tuburan chairperson Gaupan about the mining operations and the "barge" when Yanez went ballistic and yelled: "Panghawa diha, laparohon ta hinuon mo og burak!" Tulang, the cameraman, also quoted Yanez as saying: "Kanang ga video video dinha tiraduron ko man hinoon na!"
Luczon said Yañez did not stop with the threats and kept hurling invectives as they walked away. Concerned for their safety, members of Villaverde's group brought the TV crew to a tribal center for protection where they stayed for three hours.
Luczon's group left Tuburan in the evening. They were escorted by a dozen Higaonons armed with machetes and police officers. Luczon said they have asked a lawyer to prepare charges. "It is up to our lawyer to decide on what the charges would be," he said. He said their experience in Tuburan have made them more cautious. "I will be more vigilant than ever."
By JIGGER JERUSALEM, BOBBY LAGSA, ERWIN MASCARINAS
and CONG CORRALES, Correspondents
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