'Bad treatment' of Olongapo journalists assailed
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) Olongapo-Subic Chapter on Monday condemned the shoddy treatment given to two journalists in Olongapo by members of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority-Law Enforcement Department (SBMA-LED) and a court officer during two separate incidents.
The NUJP said that ABS-CBN stringer Jeff Tombado was allegedly manhandled by members of the SBMA-LED, led by its chief Col. Virgilio Tolentino.
On May 27, Tombado was taking a video footage of the SBMA-LED offices for a follow-up report on the recent confiscation of shabu when he was accosted by Tolentino and his men. Tombado was asked to immediately stop taking footage.
When Tombado refused to stop, one of Tolentino's men demanded that he produce an ID card to verify his identity and media affiliation.
Tombado explained to the SBMA-LED officer he still did not have one issued by ABS-CBN since he had only recently started working as a stringer. He also repeatedly told the officers to verify his affiliation by calling ABS-CBN, but they refused.
Tolentino then allegedly pounced on Tombado, yanked the video camera away from him, while other LED officers ganged up on him. One of the officers allegedly even pulled out a gun.
"Hindi mo ba alam, ako ang hari dito (Don't you know, I am the king here)?" he told Tombado. "Kala mo kung sino ka. Hindi ikaw ang authority dito. Ako lang ang authority dito (You think you are someone. You are not the authority here. I am the only authority here)."
Tombado again asked them to verify his identity by calling the ABS-CBN News Desk that sent him there. The appeal fell on deaf ears, the NUJP report said.
When Tombado was able to produce an old press ID from his previous job and showed it to Tolentino, the latter was finally forced to let him go.
In a separate incident, the Philippine Daily Inquirer's (PDI) Robert Gonzaga was allegedly not given the right courtesy by Sheriff Leandro Madarang of the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court, the NUJP said.
Gonzaga and Tombado went last month to a building owned by a certain Cecilia Pabunan, which was then being confiscated by a court in Olongapo on the orders of Judge Richard A. Paderaza, of RTC branch 72.
Gonzaga had been shown documents by Pabunan, which showed that the dispute had already reached the Court of Appeals. Pabunan's lawyer said that "what the sheriff is doing is illegal. Ask any lawyer, and that's what he'll tell you. "
Gonzaga then approached Madarang for his side of the story. At first, the sheriff responded positively and even volunteered to show them a copy of the writ of execution.
However, when he returned, Madarang repeatedly asked for Gonzaga's name and media affiliation, and asked him to produce his press identification card (ID).
When Gonzaga explained that he did not yet have an ID since he was newly-hired by PDI, the sheriff turned his back on Gonzaga.
Gonzaga then offered his cellphone to Madarang so he could verify his identity through the Inquirer Central Luzon desk, but Madarang turned away.
The NUJP Olongapo-Subic chapter said Madarang's actions are indicative of the "attitude of some government officials towards media practitioners."
The media group strongly condemned the conduct of Tolentino and Madarang, especially in the case of Jeff Tombado.
"Both Sheriff Madarang and Col. Tolentino were both given ample opportunity to verify the identities and affiliations of the two, but they refused to do so and did not recognize the constitutionally-protected rights of journalists to report the news," said the NUJP Olongapo-Subic chapter said.
It called for a investigation of the two officers and demanded that sanctions be imposed on them for improper behavior of public servants. ABS CBN NEWS
The NUJP said that ABS-CBN stringer Jeff Tombado was allegedly manhandled by members of the SBMA-LED, led by its chief Col. Virgilio Tolentino.
On May 27, Tombado was taking a video footage of the SBMA-LED offices for a follow-up report on the recent confiscation of shabu when he was accosted by Tolentino and his men. Tombado was asked to immediately stop taking footage.
When Tombado refused to stop, one of Tolentino's men demanded that he produce an ID card to verify his identity and media affiliation.
Tombado explained to the SBMA-LED officer he still did not have one issued by ABS-CBN since he had only recently started working as a stringer. He also repeatedly told the officers to verify his affiliation by calling ABS-CBN, but they refused.
Tolentino then allegedly pounced on Tombado, yanked the video camera away from him, while other LED officers ganged up on him. One of the officers allegedly even pulled out a gun.
"Hindi mo ba alam, ako ang hari dito (Don't you know, I am the king here)?" he told Tombado. "Kala mo kung sino ka. Hindi ikaw ang authority dito. Ako lang ang authority dito (You think you are someone. You are not the authority here. I am the only authority here)."
Tombado again asked them to verify his identity by calling the ABS-CBN News Desk that sent him there. The appeal fell on deaf ears, the NUJP report said.
When Tombado was able to produce an old press ID from his previous job and showed it to Tolentino, the latter was finally forced to let him go.
In a separate incident, the Philippine Daily Inquirer's (PDI) Robert Gonzaga was allegedly not given the right courtesy by Sheriff Leandro Madarang of the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court, the NUJP said.
Gonzaga and Tombado went last month to a building owned by a certain Cecilia Pabunan, which was then being confiscated by a court in Olongapo on the orders of Judge Richard A. Paderaza, of RTC branch 72.
Gonzaga had been shown documents by Pabunan, which showed that the dispute had already reached the Court of Appeals. Pabunan's lawyer said that "what the sheriff is doing is illegal. Ask any lawyer, and that's what he'll tell you. "
Gonzaga then approached Madarang for his side of the story. At first, the sheriff responded positively and even volunteered to show them a copy of the writ of execution.
However, when he returned, Madarang repeatedly asked for Gonzaga's name and media affiliation, and asked him to produce his press identification card (ID).
When Gonzaga explained that he did not yet have an ID since he was newly-hired by PDI, the sheriff turned his back on Gonzaga.
Gonzaga then offered his cellphone to Madarang so he could verify his identity through the Inquirer Central Luzon desk, but Madarang turned away.
The NUJP Olongapo-Subic chapter said Madarang's actions are indicative of the "attitude of some government officials towards media practitioners."
The media group strongly condemned the conduct of Tolentino and Madarang, especially in the case of Jeff Tombado.
"Both Sheriff Madarang and Col. Tolentino were both given ample opportunity to verify the identities and affiliations of the two, but they refused to do so and did not recognize the constitutionally-protected rights of journalists to report the news," said the NUJP Olongapo-Subic chapter said.
It called for a investigation of the two officers and demanded that sanctions be imposed on them for improper behavior of public servants. ABS CBN NEWS
Labels: journalist, nujp, olongapo, sbma
posted by OlongapoCity Zambales at
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