Exec says network studying legal options
By Volt Contreras
Inquirer
Media giant ABS-CBN has been ordered by the Philippine National Police to submit raw news footage of the November 29 “march” of the Magdalo rebel officers that climaxed to the Peninsula Manila siege, following reports authorities have begun looking into any role the network may have played in the crushed uprising.
Reacting in a media statement on Monday, Maria Ressa, managing director of the network’s news and current affairs department, branded the order as apparently part of a continuing attempt to ”intimidate and harass journalists,” indicating a ”gradual erosion of press freedom” in the country.
But reached later on the phone, Ressa said the company was still studying its options and had yet to decide whether to comply with the order.
”We want to cooperate but we want to make sure what we are being asked to do,” she said, noting the confusing signals the network has been getting from authorities.
The network’s coverage of the six-hour standoff in Makati City, particularly the way its news team positioned itself on site and stayed put inside the hotel during the police assault on the rebels, raised questions among investigators, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported on Monday.
A senior official then wondered whether the journalists, in defying police orders to leave the hotel for their own safety, chose to stay put because they were ”conspiring” with the Magdalos and ”willingly obstructing justice.”
The PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group summoned Ressa, on Monday, to appear and produce the video tapes at the Southern Police District headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, on December 5, at 10 a.m.
CIDG Director Edgardo Doromal ordered Ressa ”to bring with you a DVD copy of the raw video footage (regarding the) march of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and (former Scout Rangers chief) General Danilo Lim and 13 other members of Magdalo soldiers and civilian supporters” from the Makati Regional Trial Court to the hotel.
The order was silent as to whether ABS-CBN was being summoned for questioning as a suspect or as a mere source of material for a fact-finding exercise.
In an interview earlier on Monday, Ressa, who also furnished the Inquirer with a copy of the CIDG order, maintained that ”as a policy we rarely release raw video.”
”What you’ll get (is) what was in the public airwaves, what we’ve aired,” she said.
Later in a statement, Ressa insisted that ”in no instance did ABS-CBN ever ‘obstruct justice” or prevent authorities from taking action in last Thursday’s standoff in Makati.”
“ABS-CBN continued its live coverage because the public has a right to know,” she said. ”We calculated the risks, took precautions for our team, and made the choice to stay.”
”We did our job — to make sure that whatever actions both sides take, they are accountable to the people,” Ressa stressed, adding:
”Statements from law enforcement and government officials now seem confused: as some officials tell us there is no probe on ABS-CBN, I receive a subpoena ‘commanding’ me to appear at a police hearing on December 5.”
“It seems attempts to intimidate and harass journalists continue. These actions show a gradual erosion of press freedom and degrade our country’s democratic processes,” she warned.
A day after the bloodless siege, the network issued a statement condemning the ”illegal arrest” of 30 journalists and cameramen who were inside the hotel during the assault.
Claiming they were acting on suspicions that some rebels disguised themselves as members of the press, police then manacled and herded the journalists to Fort Bonifacio for ”processing” along with the targets of the assault — Trillanes and the other Magdalo soldiers as well their civilian counterparts.
In the interview, Ressa said 12 ABS-CBN personnel were among those arrested, including TV reporter Ces Drilon. The rest were producers, engineers, drivers and researchers.
In Monday’s statement, Ressa reiterated the network’s stand that ”the arrest of 12 of our journalists along with our other media colleagues is unconstitutional.”
”We have nothing to hide,” Ressa said in an interview. ”All I can say is we did our jobs. Did the security forces do theirs?”
”I feel that some of the questions that have been thrown up (by the investigators) — and which reporters would pick up — are all without basis. I don’t know what’s suspicious about (my staff) doing their jobs well,” she said.
In the same interview held at Ressa’s office, Drilon said ”the decision (for the ABS-CBN team) to stay was based on our reading of the situation.”
”In previous instances, the (2003) Oakwood mutiny, the 1989 coup, deadlines passed without an assault. And they (the rebels holed up at the Peninsula) had very little arms to put up an effective resistance,” she noted.
”So where was the danger?” Drilon asked rhetorically. ”If it’s tear gas — and our office told us that tear gas will be used and gave as a choice (to leave or stay put) — my instinct was to go to the bathroom and get wet tissues or towels. It was not to leave.”
Ressa recalled that when ABS-CBN got a call from authorities asking for the pullout of its news team from the hotel, she conferred with the head of news gathering, Charie Villa.
”What was the danger? We all covered Oakwood, all the different mutinies here. They are not going to bomb the building,” she said.
PNP ORDERED! (REPEAT ORDERED) to submit RAW (bago?) news footage of the event..Was there a “re enactment” of the march! Ressa was subpoenaed “COMMANDING” her to appear. Is the press under military command? mukhang the rule of law in the country is the military law…would this raw footage be “the evidence” of what? the march? the harrassment of the media? or to prove that the people did not care to support? Well, well, well more and more questions are asked! More and more investigations to come..and just like any others wala namang resulta…sabi nga walang ebidensya! And sabi nga “to see is to believe” !
In the meantime..tuloy ang ligaya ni Gloria..tuloy sa Espana (hindi Espana extension ha!) tuloy ang ligaya nang mga kasama niya (32 kongresistas- out of the 34 invited who paid for their fares) can afford–chicken feed lang yon–a number of them received 500,000 pesos each (yon ang nakalantad na halaga..wala bang under the table?)..ang yaman ng ninang nila ano? Ang ninong ko congressman din pero kendi lang ibinigay sa akin..(he was a congressman at the wrong time–malas ko lang!)
Tuloy ang ligaya ni Gloria!
Hahahahaha! The idiots! Foreign media have already copies of the footages ABS-CBN or GMA7 have taken of the Manila Pen seige.
I, for one, have seen two dozen video clips (30 minutes to 1 hour length) that I have had the privilege to translate into Japanese for flash news shown on Japanese TVs.
I don’t know what they plan to accomplish doing that. What are they going to do with those footages? Make a full-length movie by splicing the tapes and adding scenes Hollywood style by commissioning for instance Lapid or Montano to produce it? Weird!
Inisin nila si Ressa. OK lang! Baka banatan sila ng CNN! Then, we know for sure, hindi sayang ang ginawa nina Trillanes, et al. Labas pa pagnagkataon, mission accomplished!
As the Bible says, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.(1 Cor. 2: 14)
Paging Noli Castro…. Where are you? Are you still the vice president?
As an ex-media personality, for or against, right or wrong, say something even if your status and loyalty have changed!
Or are you too preoccupied as the low-cost housing czar these days? So say nothing?
Noli de Castro? Maybe he’s dead…
Maybe Asspweron is the VP? Noli de Castro is probably concentrated on expanding his Kabayan hotels than caring for the nation from the start.
Only the good dies young! How about GMA? Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
The near death experience of MTA was gleefully looked upon as a new lease on life in pursuit of their merry ways! Thereafter…. Nothing else matters!
For the sake of the suffering and helpless Filipinos, contrary to my personal religious belief, I “hope” a tragedy of epic proportion from within will befall upon the honorable members of the three branches of government who had and will knowingly participate in these transgressions….
This madness has to end. “Hope” is all we have!
Diyan natin masusubukan kung talagang astig ang Kapamilya. If they give in, lilipat ako sa GMA-7.
. Cruz Says:
December 4th, 2007 at 12:28 am
Paging Noli Castro…. Where are you? Are you still the vice president?
Ans. Does he still exist? He’s nowhere to be found since he became Vice. Tama si GMA sa pagpili kay Kabayan.
Thanks for your input, Brownberry!
That’s exactly what I was trying to get across specially when he used to be a member of the ABS-CBN family. He’s a faceless & shameless non-entity!
Wishful thinking…. If he follows some of the handiworks of Dick Cheney even “marginally”, GMA wouldn’t have gotten away with the ransacks!
Oh well…. I guess it’s asking too much!
Mr. Cruz, ngayon ginigipit ng PNP ang ABS-CBN na ibigay ang video footage, dapat sumaklolo man lang si Kabayan di ba? Malaki ang tulong ng Kapamilya sa kanyang kinalalagyan ngayon. It’s safe to say na medyo walang utang na loob siya.
Don’t you worry for as long as Ms. Maria Ressa heads the division. She is a product of the American form of press freedom. Level-headed and professional! She knows how to handle sensitive matters as such. Police brutality? Unlikely!
paranoia. Thats the meat of intel which was lacking. Look for somebody to blame and fast.
Noli de Castro, Anna, according to the news I heard yesterday is being groomed to be the one to meet with the media people and ask them I think to apologize to the police! Naknamputsa talaga!
BTW, there was also a video of Pacquiao in military uniform and doing a speech in Tagalog that he was reading so you know that it was another staged gimmick of Norberto Gonzales on order of the Piglet now on her rainbow tour to Europe.
Yuck, Sergeant agad ang ungas! Hindi pa yata nakagraduate iyan ng Grade School at saka wala namang ROTC iyan papaanong naging reservist. Basta sinabi ni Piglet Dorobo bigyan ng rangko, OK na?
Next time, baka ang gagawin naman ni Piglet pupunta ng Monacco at magke-claim na kamag-anak niya ang mga Rainiers!
sige gen (wa)razon, sige cidg director doroMAL magpakatanga kayo, magpakitang gilas kayo kay gloria “tiyanak” arroyo kunin ninyo ang raw footage ng abs-cbn ngunit ang hindi ninyo alam napanood na namin dito sa america sa CNN, BBC at ibang local tv stations dito sa san francisco. kaya ba ninyong kunin ang mga footages nila sa CNN? mga gung-gong kayo.
isa pa nasaan ang pinagdadakdak ninyo na economic sabotage? lumakas nga ang palitan ng piso sa merkado. gamitin naman ninyo iyang maliit na utak biya ninyo. bakit hindi ninyo ilagay ang mga star sa balikat ninyo sa inyong bibig.
tanong ng bayan, NASAAN SI VP NOLI de CASTRO? SIYA PA BA ANG VICE PRESIDENT NG PILIPINAS?
Si Noli Kabayad ay kasalukuyang nakaluhod at nagdarasal na matuluyan na si Gloria para siya ng papalit ng walang kahirap-hirap. O kaya ay nagbibilang ng kuto…
damag 46,
malakas naman talaga ang piso natin. subalit ang mas naKIKInabang ay ang mga maTITIbay ang sikmurang negosyanteng umaangkat ng kanilang mga produkto partikular ang mga oil companies.
malakas ang piso, subalit locally ay walang purchasing power dahil ang halaga ng mga pangunahing bilihin ay SUKO hanggang langit.
kaya marami ang magnanakaw, holdaper, kidnaper, pusher isnatser. lalo’t higit ang mga kurakot na pulis, kotongresmen, senatong, gobernatong, meyor, kotongsehal at maging mga barangay kabayad. kulang ang kanilang sinusuweldo lalo’t kabit kabit ang alagang kulatsitsi.
BTW, nakita ko ang itsura ni Razon sa TV ng ABS-CBN. Mukhang kawawa kaya siguro akala ni Ellen may sense. Nagmukhang bobo sa kasusunod doon sa nag-appoint sa kaniya. Iyan kasi ang mahirap sa mga may tinatanaw na utang na loob! Nahuhubaran!
Magno,
Anong malakas ang piso. Walang ngang buying power iyan e. Ni hindi nga mapalitan sa foreign exchange kahit saan maliban kahit yata sa Hong Kong. Bumaba lang iyan kasi mababa ang dollar. Sira ang economy ng Tate dahil na rin sa kalokohan ni Bush.
Pero kwidaw ka, iyong sterling pound din bumaba din pala. When I was a student in UK ang palit ng 1 pound halos 4 dollars kaya nga namamahalan nga ako doon sa chop suey on top of rice sa isang Chinese restaurant na ang charge ay 10 pounds para sa isang mangkok noon. Biro mo 40 dollars na iyon na 4 na steaks na iyon sa Knotsberry Farm, ngayon 1 is to 2 na.
Iyong pinagyayabang na hinahabol ng mga European ang business ng Pilipinas, kalokohan iyan. Ang Pilipinas ang bumibili baga ng service ng mga Europeans para kuno sa infrastructure ni Gloria para makautang sa China, etc. Padded bills at commission ang target ng mag-asawang ganid sa totoo lang. Kahit naman sino madali namang maintindihan iyan kaya lang talagang magaling lang manglito ang mga mangloloko at pag tinanong nagmamaang-maangan. Problema nga lang, maraming pilipino hindi sanay magbilang. Kulang sa practice kasi marunong lang magbilang ang karamihan ng asawa at kabit! 😛
Chi,
Marunong bang magdasal si Kabayad? Sa palagay ko hindi iyan nagdarasal dahil sunud-sunuran lang daw siya sa tadhana at gusto ng mga bumoto sa kaniya. Kung marami pa raw ang bibilib sa kaniya, well and good. Kundi maghihintay na lang siya ng suwerte habang kumakabig din siya! Yuck, inutil!
Allow me to clarify that ROTC graduates automatically are commissioned as Second Lts. in the AFP. Since Manny Pacquiao is not an ROTC graduate, his being just an enlisted reservist is okay. Ang mga Sarhento at pababa ay hindi mga college o ROTC graduates. Speaking of Manny, siya lang ang sarhento na may security detail na mas mataas ang ranggo sa kanya at sumasaludo pa sa kanya. Even before he was commissioned as an enlisted reservist, isang tambak na ang mga bodyguards niya courtesy of Malacanang and the First Gentleman.
Ni hindi dumaan sa private si Pacquiao, palakasan lang naging Sarhento na? Yuck! Maiinggit talaga ang hindi makakarangko niyan. No wonder naghihilahan ng paa!
Kung direct commissionship kasi lalo na may sponsor, hindi na dumadaan sa pinakamababa. A case in point is the so called Project 36-70 since the time of Marcos. If civilians are helping the government and AFP; tulad ng mga negosyante…then, they have sponsors to back them up, usually mataas agad ang ranggo sa reserved force. Mababa na ang Capitan at Major. Ang ibang matataas na civilan officials at politicians, LT. Col. pa nga.
hello, kapuso ako e, kaya si noli, bahala siya sa buhay nya, malaki na siya,,,, hehehehehe
“Magno, Anong malakas ang piso. Walang ngang buying power iyan……”
yuko, bagong gising ka yata. eto, o. “malakas ang piso, subalit locally ay walang purchasing power dahil ang halaga ng mga pangunahing bilihin ay SUKO hanggang langit.”
I like this one…
“The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth becomes the greatest enemy of the State.” — Dr. Joseph M. Goebbel, Nazi propaganda ministe