RP among most dangerous places for journalists – reportBy Artemio Dumlao
Friday, June 20, 2008
BAGUIO CITY – The Philippines was tagged as one of the most dangerous places for journalists in the Asia-Pacific region by the Brussels-based media watchdog International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) after the release of kidnapped television news anchor Ces Oreña-Drilon, her cameramen Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama, and Mindanao State University professor Octavio Dinampo.
IFJ, which represents over 600,000 journalists in 122 countries, included the Philippines among the most dangerous locations for practicing journalism in the Asia-Pacific region. The group noted that five journalists were killed in the country in 2007.
Some two years ago, the country was also tagged as the second most dangerous place for journalists. The most dangerous place was war-torn Iraq. The Philippine government had debunked the IFJ assessment.
International and Philippine-based media groups welcomed the release of ABS-CBN senior correspondent Drilon and the other hostages of the Abu Sayyaf bandits after nine days of captivity.
“We join our colleagues in the Philippines in welcoming the safe return of these journalists, who are reported to be in good health despite their ordeal. The abduction is a terrible reminder of the dangers journalists face covering dangerous assignments in every part of the world,†said Bob Dietz, Committee on the Protection of Journalists-Asia program coordinator.
Jose Torres, chairman of the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP), said the kidnapping of Drilon and the others should serve as a reminder to all media workers to be careful in doing their job.
Torres said the kidnapping highlights a continuing problem within the industry that adds to the external dangers and threats to press freedom, and that is the responsibility of owners of media agencies to ensure the safety and welfare of news teams in the field.
“Protective measures and assessment of safety must be a high priority when media workers enter notoriously dangerous regions of the Philippines,†he said.
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