Cabinet secretaries snub Senate’s media arrest hearing
Click here for Inquirer’s account: Media asserts rights, role in democracy
Journalists present at a Senate hearing on Thursday expressed fears because of the police’s arrest of media people who decided to stay inside a luxury hotel in Makati City last month while a group of rebel soldiers led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Army Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim were calling on the public to withdraw support to President Arroyo.
In her opening statement during the hearing, Malaya newspaper columnist Ellen Tordesillas, said scenes of movies about The Holocaust came into her mind while she and other journalists were being lined up and brought into a waiting police bus after the six-hour standoff.
“At that point, it made me remember from Holocaust movies, where Jews are being lined up in concentration camps,” Tordesillas said referring to movies that showed how European Jews were being lined up by Nazis for execution during World War II.
Maria Ressa, head of ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs, said the arrest of media people with suspects on the failed uprising creates a “chilling effect.”
“Every journalists reporting on a conflict situation now have to worry if they could be arrested or charged. Journalists can be charged so can the news organization they work for. This is no longer a threat but a reality and creates a chilling effect for working journalists,” Ressa said, referring to a recent warning from Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno will again be arrested if the police and the media are caught in a situation similar to the failed rebellion.
Ressa said there are fears that the recent arrest of journalists and other forms of media intimidation are a preview of “a more dangerous time ahead.”
For her part, Charmaigne Gutierrez a reporter for NHK TV, recalled that while journalists were being lined up for transport to Camp Bagong Diwa, she was asking herself if they have been part of Malacañang’s deadline for the police to end the standoff at the hotel.
The journalists insisted that they decided to remain inside the hotel, despite the police’s request, because it was their duty to tell the public what was going on inside the hotel.
Ressa said that on that day, it was clear to all the journalists inside the hotel that “the public has the right to know.”
Intelligence agents posed as media
In her statement, Ressa revealed that journalists covering the standoff were aware that there were police and military intelligence agents who have infiltrated the media’s ranks.
She said ABS-CBN did not report the infiltration because it may compromise the agents from the armed rebel soldiers.
“During the crisis we did not report that because we didn’t want to compromise their work, but their presence increased the danger who were inside the room,” she said.
Ressa insisted that the journalists inside the hotel did not obstruct justice, but somehow their reports have even helped the police authorities.
“We categorically state that at no instance did any journalists obstruct justice at The Peninsula. Mere presence and reporting the news is not obstruction of justice,” she said.
She added: “Recordings made by the police of our live coverage are being used as evidence in court… The police benefited from us doing our job. We cannot be both obstructing justice and helping justice simultaneously.”
The Senate inquiry was launched through resolutions filed by senators after media organizations complained of being violated of their rights with their arrest while covering the failed uprising.
Dozens of media personalities, including 12 members of the ABS-CBN News team, were arrested with Trillanes’s group. The journalists’ hands were tied with plastic handcuffs and transported to a police camp in Bicutan, Taguig for processing.
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Cabinet secretaries snub Senate’s media arrest hearing
Malacañang officials snubbed Thursday’s Senate hearing on the mass arrest of journalists after the six-hour standoff at The Peninsula Manila in Makati City last month.
Sen. Francis Escudero, chairman of the justice and human rights committee, announced at the start of the hearing that secretaries Gilbert Teodoro of the Department of National Defense, Ronaldo Puno of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and Raul Gonzalez of the Department of Justice refused to attend the inquiry.
“Your honors must be aware that all of the invited officials invited to the inquiry are currently engaged in critical operations to identify and capture those involved who are still at large. They are likewise involved in the investigation and build up of cases to be filed in court and any disclosure of information relative to the incident may prejudice ongoing operations…,” the three officials said in a letter sent to the Senate.
The officials added that officials working for the arrest of those responsible in the failed uprising led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Army Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim last November 29 should not be bothered and allowed “to do their job with undiminished time and attention.”
The inquiry was conducted through resolutions filed by senators after media organizations complained of being violated of their rights with their arrest while covering the failed uprising.
Dozens of media personalities, including 12 members of the ABS-CBN News team, were arrested with Trillanes’s group. The journalists’ hands were tied with plastic handcuffs and transported to a police camp in Bicutan, Taguig for processing.
While the mediamen covering the failed uprising were being arrested, some members of the so-called Magdalo Group, including Marine Cap. Nicanor Faeldon, eluded arrest.
The police haven’t found out yet how Faeldon and the other rebel soldiers were able to escape from the hotel, which was cordoned off by soldiers and policemen.
G.L.O.R I.A: “She will do as she pleases!”
A complex character with very strong personal ambitions and no clear understanding “of what‘s right and wrong” : Her biography opens with a simple but revealing statement :“ Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, holds many records.”
It appears that every life event to her is an opportunity to satisfy a personal ambition.Like an Olympic athlete ,her life is all about keeping a scorecard and breaking records at all costs.
Since EDSA III, Masang Pilipino already expressed their gratitude to GMA, but some sectors of our society supported her all the way and we Masang Pinoy fought hardly to evict her from Malacanang.
The result, GMA won! It is a vindication to all of us Filipino about her performance and attitude being our illegimate President.
Really, she is a hard headed lady, nobody listened to her either by protests in the street or EDSA III/Oakwood/PEN standoff. What else?
This is a big big lessons to some of our fellow Filipinos still supporting and believing in her legacy to serve the country and Filipino people either by hook or by crook.
Now, GMA still controlling the high position in our country even she is not accepted by our people, but JUNTA Tabako loved her very much.
Whilst viewing the senate inquiry on the television it interested me that all of the officials invited to the inquiry said that they could not attend because they are currently engaged in critical operations to identify and capture those involved who are still at large – when the judge hearing the case of ‘rebellion’ was busy throwing out the weak evidence for fourteen people arrested in that case – thats about as critical as it can get ha ha ha.
I was equally intrigued to see Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum (Enrile & Joker) sharing notes rambling on and on about nothing of interest in particular. Are they senile or what!
Hi wwnl,
Everbody knows that tweedle dee (JPE) is a good fence sitter, he nows how to play hide and seek. Remember, he used Gringo in his personal ambition, but after that we see him playing with fire to other TRAPO and Balimbing politos.
Yan si tweedle dee the instigator of Martial rule during Marcos D-day (i mean #2 man corrupt President after GMA).
About tweedle dum (Joker A.), he has no gutz at all coz’ walang pinagkatandaan, sayang ang matanda. Bumalimbing!
Mukhang nabayaran ni GMA, kaya tameme eh!
is being the shortest president in the world one of her records?
EllenT I took noticed of:
In her statement, Ressa revealed that journalists covering the standoff were aware that there were police and military intelligence agents who have infiltrated the media’s ranks.
She said ABS-CBN did not report the infiltration because it may compromise the agents from the armed rebel soldiers.
“During the crisis we did not report that because we didn’t want to compromise their work, but their presence increased the danger who were inside the room,” she said.
Ressa insisted that the journalists inside the hotel did not obstruct justice, but somehow their reports have even helped the police authorities.
I think this is an issue that bloggers need to analyze:
1)Is this right, legal or moral for Gloria and her generals to approve soldiers and police to masquerade as journalist during siege and operations like the peninsula siege?
2)Is this being done in US, Thailand or in other countries?
3)Can’t Gloria, the PNP and AFP have the little brain to use better tactics than the use of treachery?
4)In armed conflicts what do soldiers do to enemies who wear their uniform as spies? As per Geneva convention?
5)How will police and soldiers in other countries consider this seeming cowardly and below the belt tactics of our police and soldiers?
6)Fools say: All is fair in love and war, and in politics. Is that why lovers murder, go insane, and behave like morons because it is all about war and politics? Because Philippines is blessed with such good lovers like Gloria, Mike and Mikey, Esperon, Gonzalezes, Reyes, Razon, Defensor-Santiago, a phalanx of of many more?
7)When police say some soldiers were posing as journalists, were they not stupidly revealing their tactics?
8)Why did media not report this dastardly tactic? Are they not hiding the truth from the people?
9)What was the basis of using government agents as Journalists to infiltrate media ranks covering peninsula? 10)Should not the useless Congress do a Sarsuela on this?
dark days here again?
this paranoid administration is really testing the patience of the people. curtailing press freedom is against the constitution and it only shows the bogus leadership’s poor quality of governance and it cannot do any better to improve its relation with the agonizing public.
gloria’s greed knows no rule of law, she only keeps them under her filthy feet.
“The police haven’t found out yet how Faeldon and the other rebel soldiers were able to escape.”
in any retrieval operations, the police pays much attention on what they can pocket and not anything else.
kaya nga nakalusot sina capt faeldon, eh.
nakakapagtaka ba?
Sa Thailand may isang Pinay duon binugbog habang nakaposas at ginawang punching bag.
At naka-iskor pa ng 19-0.
Biruin mo yun???
Cabinet secretaries snub Senate’s media arrest hearing.
Bakit, dahil ba sa hindi nila masalubong ng mata sa mata ang members ng media? O umiilag sila na mabanggit ng media ang kanilang mababahong pagsasabihin?
Ang tatapang ng mga meimbros de aparador ni Gloria Orinola!
WWNL,
“I was equally intrigued to see Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum (Enrile & Joker) sharing notes rambling on and on about nothing of interest in particular. Are they senile or what!”
Hahahahha! Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum!
Enrile was asking Joker to teach him how to read but Joker already forgot the letters of the alphabet!
“The police haven’t found out yet how Faeldon and the other rebel soldiers were able to escape”
Ilang pintuan ba meron ang lugar sa Pen kung saan nag-holdout sina Sen. Trillanes at hindi malaman ng mga pulis patola kung saan at paano nakalabas sina Capt. Faeldon and others?!
Baka naman pagkakakwartahan nga nila ang mga ‘nakatakas’ na Magdalo ayon sa mga kumakalt na reports!
chi,
Who’s the Mad Hatter? Obvious na si GMA and Queen na panay “off with his head!” and also March Hare, Cheshire Cat?
Inisnab ng mga meimberos de aparador ni Gloria ang media kasi raw ay marami silang ginagawa tungkol sa kaso nina Sen. Trillanes at hindi sila pwedeng abalahin.
Akala ko ba ay isinama nila ang media sa kaso, pinagbibintangan nila na ayuda at “glorified” pa nina AT4 ang maraming taga-media? O, di ba mas maganda na harapan nila ang mga ito at tanungin?! Mga sinungaling na duwag!
I’m hesitant to comment about the police as one of some of the officers there are also friends of mine but I will try to get something from them before the week ends. Maybe an answer to who had a party in the rooms and ransacked the cabinets and mini bars during the time when the SOCO was there doing a half-assed CSI.
Good luck to you, juggernaut.
Sige, ako na lang ang mag-comment sa kapulisan, heheh!
Glorilla is just a lot of bull…”off with his head” lagi and then hindi naman tuloy!
I dare her to take action “off with their heads” with our Men of Honor. Let’s see kung sino ang matibay. Huh!
Ooppps. “…glorified” pa si AT4 ng maraming taga-media…
(that happens every morning…wala pang kape kasi e pasok agad sa Ellenville, :))
“Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.”Joseph Goebbels
For the first time, I had a close look at Ms. Ellen Tordesillas when she attended the Senate hearing to testify about the recent abuses committed by the PNP/AFP against the media. Magaling, matapang…iyan ang masasabi ko kay Ellen. There was one thing I noticed, though…medyo malikot ang mga kamay ni Ellen. She kept moving her hands and making hand gestures while talking. Sa kaunting psychology na napag-aralan ko, that was a sign of nervousness. Makikita iyan sa body language ng isang tao. And who wouldn’t be nervous to be in front of such GMA trouble shooters like Enrile and Joker. Buti na lang wala doon ang isa pang butangerang si Miriam Santiago. Do you notice that Enrile and Joker always attend the Senate hearings lately? And they always sit beside one another. If one cannot attend, the other doesn’t. Matibay ang pagsasamahan ng dalawang tuta ni GMA. Also, I think Ellen is a better writer than talker. That’s just my opinion.
I was very impressed with this Mr. Tony Lopez. Kasing tapang ni Ellen. Tony hit a lot of bull’s eyes. At one time, he got the ire of Enrile. Etong si Enrile napakapikon na ngayon. Astang siga sa Senado. Tulad iyan ni Miriam na ayaw makarinig kahit kaunting negative comment mula sa mga tao. Dick Gordon as usual flooded the floor with his long playing talk. Madaldal talaga itong si Subic Boy. Kapag siya ang magsalita, hindi ka makakasingit. I noticed that Ellen found it hard to respond to Dick’s questions because his questions were longer than the answers.
Congratulation Ellen! Mabuhay ka!
Basta matapang iyang si Ellen sa pagtatanggol sa hustiya at katotohanan! Yun ang mahalaga sa lahat, tunay siyang tao…hindi gaya ng ilang senadores na hybrid tulad ni Glorilla.
Tuta kasi ni Glorilla si Dick kaya magulo palagi kung magtanong!
Thanks for the story, Brownberry.
It is interesting to see what the senate comittee on justice and human rights would do in terms of legislation. Absence of Senator Santiago, the career judge and constituionalist is indicative that no more grounds can be given to press that are not given already to the public.
The refusal of the cabinet secretaries to attend the senate inquiry is indicative of Malanang next position to fight any adverse legislation through the high court.
d0d0ng:
What is all this drivel your coming out with when you say “The refusal of the cabinet secretaries to attend the senate inquiry is indicative of Malanang next position to fight any adverse legislation through the high court.”
The reason these goons didn’t turn up at the senate hearing is because they knew they would be humiliated by the lawyer senators – if they take it to the high court it will end up in a bigger humiliation for these goons who as far as the law is concerned don’t have a leg to stand on.
Your talking nonsense again!
Between Ressa and Puno, I favor the lady’s argument. Makes more sense than the bully’s logic of “obstructing justice.”
I bet, even if Gonzales, Puno, Razon, and other GMA lapdogs gang up on Ressa, they can’t beat her in the way she articulated her position as a media practitioner. Don’t know how they would respond to Ressa’s –
“Recordings made by the police of our live coverage are being used as evidence in court… The police benefited from us doing our job. We cannot be both obstructing justice and helping justice simultaneously.”
akala ko ang executive, legislative and judiciary are while they work together should be independent of each other to make sure there is check and balance..it does not seem to be now..ito ba ang pamasko sa taumbayan? take away their freedom…?
“The reason these goons didn’t turn up at the senate hearing is because they knew they would be humiliated by the lawyer senators – if they take it to the high court it will end up in a bigger humiliation for these goons who as far as the law is concerned don’t have a leg to stand on.” – wE wILL nEVER.
Opposition dominated senate will never be the venue for the Executive branch. Other than giving the press an avenue to air their grievances and probably familiar denounciation of the administration and the police, there is nothing beyond except a probable adverse legislation to clip on police power if it can survive administration allies like Sen Santiago in the senate. If it does, then the favorite venue of the administration will be the neutral High Court. Humiliation has never been the vocabulary for people who are exercising powers.
“Akala ko ang executive, legislative and judiciary while they work together should be independent of each other to make sure there is check and balance” -Rose
The 3 are independent and co-equal, hence there is check and balance. Naturally, they can work together especially when budget is on the table. However in conflict (usually between legislative and executive) the President can issue an order (like EO464) and Legislature can pass adversarial law to override presidential veto (over 2/3 of both houses) which surely end up in high court for resolution.
FYI…even those Malacanang boys are not in the best of relationship. Hindi magkasundo sina Raul Gonzales at Apostol samantalang si Puno naman ay kagalit ni Ermita.
Opposition dominated senate will never be the venue for the Executive branch. — Dodong
The Senate is NOT opposition dominated. That’s a smokescreen. Gloria knows this but just the same she wants to show who’s boss. It’s precisely because she knows Senate as a whole won’t make a squeak…
There are only 4 bona fide Opposition senators, 1 of whom is in prison. The others are all make believe Oppposition.
Never have we seen a farce as horridly farcical as the Senate today.
Enrile’s favorite phrase these days is, “Please disabuse my mind…” As if?
Anna,
I’ve given it some thought, I will have to agree with you that the Senate ISN’T the real opposition we believe it is. It’s a built-in defect she exploits every now and then to prove a point that the senate is nothing but a willing victim of her stronghanded corrupt politics.
Tell it to the marines! a message of the king’s men to the senators hearings not only on the plaints of the media.
May epekto kaya yung sinabi ni Mirriam na:
“I’ll file a RESOLUTIEN calling for an INVESTIGATIEN in aid of LEGISLATIEN.”
Tongue,
Right! In any case, it’s a very very very defective Senate — it’s a dysfunctional Senate.
goldbar, este goldberg,
german na ba si brenda?
tsk. tsk. tsk.
mahirap maging ehemplo ‘yan ng ating younger GENERATIEN sa paghahangad ng mahusay na EDUCATIEN.
achecheche!
anna,
defective?
hindi yata. baka infective senate. kasi nakakahawa sa iba ‘yung kasalaulaan ng ilang nagpapagamit sa singaw sa malakanyang.
mabilis silang manghawa ng galis aso!
Mrivera, di ko alam kung German na ito.
Gaya ng sabi mo, mahirap mgaing ehemplo para sa ating GENERATIEN. Ako ay meron ng KONSOMISYEN sa kasalukuyang kalagayan ng ating NATIEN.
Noong Senate hearing ng ZTE, nagalit siya dahil sa mga COMMISSIEN na inatupag lang ng mga involve.
Nakakalungkot talaga ang ating state of the NATIEN.
goldberg,
hindi kaya na-stroke na ‘yan kaya ganyan nang magsalita?
kita mo naman ngiwi na ang bunganga.
hay, naku.
naghihikahos na ang majority ng ating POPULATIEN ay hindi pa rin nagsasawa at tumitigil ang mga hidhid sa kanilang CORRUPTIEN. kapag sila’y tinatawag upang magpaliwanag sa alinmang senate INVESTIGATIEN ay wala silang ginagawa kundi umiwas at magtago sa likod ng executive ORDERRR at presidential PROCLAMATIEN ni gloria.
Magno, na-stroke nga yata!
Dapat may tumingin na sa kanya, isama na silang lahat. Wala na silang ginawa kundi kumubra ng kanilang COMMISSIEN. Kawawang POPULATIEN. Pero kahit siguro in aid of LAGISLATIEN, wala pa ring dadalo sa INVESTIGATIEN. Buti na lang wala pa sa atin ang tumalon sa EROPLANOH dahil marami ng MALVERSATIEN of public funds at dahil dito di na malaman kung ano ang gagawain ng buong NATIEN…
12/14/07
Ellen,
When is reporting the truth by the media became “obstruction of justice”? Which constitution said that. Is that written in Gloria’s Constitution?
gold,
tigilan na natin ang paggaya kay miryam breyn dameyds.
baka makasuhan pa tayo ng abuse of IMPERSONATIEN.
nangingiwi na rin ako sa kalokohan natin!