Press can’t take it anymore, P-Noy

March 13, 2012 Statement

Press can’t take it anymore, P-Noy

                ONE BLACK DAY for the Press!

                In one day two attacks were done against the press in separate places: Pangasinan and Pasig City.

                On March 11, 2012 in Pangasinan, veteran newsman Jaime Aquino survived a murder attempt as if he had amulet.

The first gunman came near him and poked a “sumpak” gun on his head and clicked the same twice but the gun did not fire off.

Seconds later another gunman, a brother of the first gunner, aimed a .38 revolver from two meters and pulled the trigger three times but the same did not explode.

Seeing this, the father of the two gunmen came in and thrust a stab attack but the same missed to hit Aquino.

                After that, the newsman ran to his car and immediately locked it off, started the engine and sped off.  But while he was driving away, the gunman holding the .38 revolver gave a chase on a motorcycle and clicked the pistol again and it fired off three times.  But the bullets did not hit even the car of the journalist.

                On the same day in Pasig City, Fernan Jose Angeles, the Daily Tribune reporter assigned to cover Malacañang Press Club, was also shot at on Evangelista St. in Barangay Pinagbuhatan at 10:00 p.m.

                Less than three hours earlier, Angeles posted at 7:36 p.m. a message crying for justice for Jaime Aquino, which cry was posted on the Maki-ALAM ALAB NG MAMAMAHAYAG Facebook wall by National Press Club president Jerry S. Yap, who is also the chairman of ALAM.

Ironically, Angeles did not know he was to suffer the same attack when he went out of his house to buy a cellphone load for him to send his stories to his newspaper.

                Gemma, Angeles’ wife, told the media that a big drug syndicate was behind in the attempt to murder her husband.

                These two attacks on media men is a blatant display of how brutal the enemies of the press are. These attacks on the Press also constitute as an assault to President Benigno Simeon Aquino III to destroy him in the eyes of the people.

                Is P-Noy not really doing enough to protect the Press since he also knows it well that he cannot imagine a country without the press?

                The President may dispute but no amount of argument can change the hard evidence. Before this BLACK DAY, Alab ng Mamamahayag (ALAM) notes that on March 2, 2012, block timer radio commentator Fernando Gabio was shot in Jaro, Iloilo City. Luckily, he is still recuperating at Iiloilo Mission Hospital.  His case will go to naught, too.

                It also means that in ten days, three assaults against the Press were made.

                Prior to the murder assault against Gabio, 12 mediamen were killed with impunity since P-Noy began his term on July 1, 2012.

                In all those twelve who were killed not one brain or mastermind has been charged before the Office of the Prosecutors or in any court.

                Only one case is lucky enough, that of the murder on Gerry “Doc Gerry” Ortega on January 24, 2011.  In this, at least the gunman was arrested right after the slaying and the co-conspirators were arrested.  But the families of Ortega are crying for justice demanding for the filing of cases against those pinpointed as the brains by Jun Bomar, the man who hired the gunman.

                Bomar, the one who confessed to have hired the gunman, also confessed that he was tasked by former governors Joel T. Reyes of Palawan and Antonio Carrion of Marinduque.

                The 11 other slain journalists are: 

1.       July 3, 2010 -- 75-year-old radio commentator and community journalist Jose Daguio in Tabuk, Kalinga;

2.       July 9, 2010 -- Miguel Belen, field reporter of DWEB FM station in Nabua, Camarines Sur;

3.       August 1, 2010 – Edilberto Cruz, publisher of Salida tabloid in Nueva Ecija;

4.       December 10, 2010 – Edison Flameniana Sr., columnist of Mindanao Inquirer, in Tabudok, Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur;

5.       February 1, 2011 – Cirilo Gallardo, 38, a broadcaster of DWWW Spirit 96.9 FM and a teacher of the Divine Word College, in Barangay Bangbangar, Bangued, Abra;

6.       March 24, 2011 – Len Flores Somera of DZME in Maysilo, Malabon City;

7.       June 13, 2011 – Romeo Olea, reporter-announcer of DWEB-FM in Iriga City, Camarines Sur;

8.       August 22, 2011 – Niel Aranga Jimena in EB Magalona, Negros Occidental;

9.       October 14, 2011 -- Datu Roy Quijada Gallego in Sitio Mamparasanon, Barangay Banahaw in Lianga, Surigao del Sur. 

10.   November 11, 2011 – Alfredo “Dodong” Velarde Jr. in General Santos City;

11.   January 5, 2012 – Christopher Guarin, editor of Tatak tabloid and broadcaster, in Barangay Lagao, General Santos City.