Mr. President, my colleagues in the City Council. Friends from the media, ladies and gentlemen, Maayong buntag.
I rise on a personal and collective privilege to manifest my concern in connection with the abduction of ABS-CBN news journalist Ces Drilon, her crew Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama, as well as Professor Octavio Dinampo, of Mindanao State University, a well-known peace activist.
Last June 8, 2008 the whole nation was stunned upon hearing of the news of the abduction of Ces, her crew and Prof. Dinampo. Mr. President, once again my fellow media practitioners' lives are in danger for the reason and practice of their profession.
Mr. President, this is not the first time that journalists from ABS-CBN were abducted by the Abu Sayyaf. The same incident happened in July 2000, when ABS-CBN reporter Maan Macapagal and cameraman Val Cuenca were abducted and were held in captivity for four (4) days. Also other local journalists from GMA-7 like Carlo Lorenzo, Susan Enriquez and cameraman Gilbert Ordiales were likewise abducted and held in captivity for a number of days. However, their plight is nothing compared to then Philippine Daily Inquirer contributor and Net 25 television reporter Arlyn de la Cruz, who was held in captivity for over 3 months.
The abduction of Ces Drilon and her crew adds another fatal blow to the tarnished image of the Philippines as a place unsafe for journalists. It could be recalled that not so long ago, the Philippines was put in a spotlight in the international arena for a series of journalist killings. These killings were primarily intended to silence our media practitioners in telling the truth to the people as vanguards of democracy.
According to a report from the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) presented to the National Media and Conflict Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia on 26 April 2006:
"Mindanao recorded the most number of slain journalists in the country. The International Federation of Journalists tagged the Philippines as the second most dangerous country for journalists, next to Iraq where war rages. Journalists in the provinces, like us who are based in Mindanao, are facing direct risks compared with those based in Manila. Stories which were unpleasant for some local government officials and the politicians resulted to threats, harassments and worst, the killings of journalists".
In the local scene, our very own Gene Boyd Lumawag is in that long list of victims, among others. In another news item, Mr. President, as many as 88 journalists have been killed since 1986; the year formal democracy was restored in the Philippines. The number is now close to double the number of journalists in 14 years of martial law, the NUJP said in a statement.
The issue on the killing of the journalists and their protection continue to remain unresolved. We know from the fact that the Congress already passed a law pertaining to Anti-terrorism Act. But still lives are put in danger.
This latest incident should be a wake-up call not only for journalists in the field nor media owners but the government as well.
Allow me also to speak this time as a mother and a citizen of this country and not just as an elected official and media practitioner. Journalists are not only dedicated human beings out in search of truth for public interest. They are also strong indicators of a strong democracy. If our journalists here in the Philippines or in the world are killed, threatened or abducted, then democracy itself is placed in great peril.
Murder, imprisonment and threats against journalists constitute a grave violation against the freedom of expression – and thus also threaten the fundamentals of democracy. Impunity only makes the situation worse. As long as perpetrators know that they will not be held accountable for the crimes they have committed, journalists remain easy targets.
Let not this incident be viewed as a Muslim-Christian conflict, neither as a mere Mindanao peace and order problem. This is an incident that should unite all peace-loving citizens of the country and this world, and should be regarded in the larger concept of keeping the peace in a civilized society.
Kidnapping of any peace-loving citizen, for that matter, should be condemned and dealt with severely. Kidnapping for ransom is worse, holding hostage an innocent victim, its family, the community, the country, event the world, which is already teetering in various natural and man-made calamities. Abduction has already become on enterprise for this splinter group, and has gone beyond whatever principles it was supposed to further.
This abduction should be dealt as a criminal act and should be dealt with accordingly. The latest turn of events has it, as publicized in a national daily, that kidnappers are setting a deadline at twelve noon today for the pay of some Php15M for the release of the three (3) remaining captives. This is indeed very unfortunate, as it should have been the government and its proper agencies that should be giving an ultimatum to criminal elements like these abductors.
I call upon all peace-loving citizens, whether Muslim or Christian, regardless of race, creed, or color, to condemn all criminal acts, especially heinous acts such as kidnap for ransom activities. I also urge the peace-loving Muslim leaders of our country, to come out in the open to condemn these acts that unfortunately undermine the collective desire of all for peaceful coexistence. The government, and all citizens, should make all effort to stop this incident from happening again and again.
In the end, all acts of criminal intent do not only adversely and directly affect the victim, or his or her family, or the community, or the country, or the world, but the entire consciousness of the human race. If there is no respect for human life and human aspirations that is inherent in each and every one of us, peace and stability are the very ideals that are curtailed.
Let us stop killing, threatening and abducting journalists and all innocent civilians for that matter. Unabated, these threatens the very pillars of democracy and our sense of decency as a civilized as a civilized society. Let us all join hands in offering our prayers for the safety of the captives and their rescuers. And also prayers for our beloved country and its leaders in these very challenging times.
Thank you, Your Honor.
MABEL SUNGA ACOSTA
