Media – Page 17 – ellen tordesillas

Betrayal in the House

Published by Ellen on June 4, 2010

by Leila Salaverria
Philippine Daily Inquirer

The House of Representatives accomplished nothing on its last session day Friday, but claims of deceit, threats of arrest and declarations of outrage flew fast and furious.

Declared seven short of a quorum, the House adjourned without ratifying the freedom of information (FOI) bill—a landmark piece of legislation that would have lifted the shroud of secrecy over government transactions and data.

Ratification was to have been the last step before the nine-year-old bill is submitted to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for her signature.

We should not forget

Published by Ellen on May 24, 2010

Last Sunday, the media community remembered that six months ago, 57 people were brutally killed by members of then ruling Ampatuan family. At least 30…

Not forgetting the Maguindanao massacre

Published by Ellen on May 22, 2010

Tomorrow,Sunday,will be the sixth month of the Maguindanao massacre that claimed the lives of at least 57 people, 30 of them journalists.

Justice still eludes the victims and their families. The perpetrators of the heinous crime, members of the powerful Ampatuan family, are in jail but attempts to evade accountability persist.

To maintain the momentum of the quest for justice for the victims, a media outfit hosts the commemoration every 23rd of the month. This Sunday, Malaya Business Insight, leads in the prayers and renewal of our demand for accountability. It will be held in front of the office of Malaya on Railroad corner 20th streets in Port Area, Manila at 6 p.m.

SC junks Mike Arroyo petition vs. journalists

Published by Ellen on May 14, 2010

The Supreme Court has junked a petition filed by Jose Miguel Arroyo,husband of Gloria Arroyo, which sought to dismiss the damage suit filed against him by a group of journalists whom he hauled to court for libel.

In a minute resolution, the Supreme Court ruled that the Court of Appeals did not commit a reversible error in sustaining the ruling of Judge Zenaida Galapate Laguilles of the Regional Trial Court of Makati City, Branch 143.

Judge Galapate-Laguilles had previously denied the presidential spouse’s motion to dismiss the P12.5-million class suit. The First Gentleman cited the failure of the journalists to immediately answer the written interrogatory within the prescribed extended period.

Election survival guide for journalists

Published by Ellen on May 9, 2010

Today, let’s all exercise our right to choose people who will lead our country.

Pray that this election will be peaceful and will reflect the will of the people.

As we move to the age of automation, which is supposed to lessen fraud, it seems that there are things of the ugly past that persist up to this day. Like private armies and harassment of media.

Ed Montalvan of Mindanao Currents reports in VERA Files CoveritLive that two cameramen of IBC-13 were mauled, their cameras taken away, while recording two candidates distributing money in Camiguin in Northern Mindanao.

With television and internet, the public is apprised of what is happening all over the country in real time. Media is not alone in bringing news to the public. There are thousands of citizens all over the country doing journalist work.

Pamahalaan ni Arroyo, kahanay ng Taliban

Published by Ellen on May 3, 2010

Ang galing talaga nitong administrasyon ni Gloria Arroyo.

Sa okasyon ng World Press Freedom day kahapon, kasama ang Pilipinas sa 40 bayan na sinasabing “Predators of the press.”

Ang ibig sabhin ng “predator” ay isang bagay, pwedeng tao, pwedeng alien na kumakain o nagsisira ng isang bagay. Parang halimaw na nagbibiktima ng mga ordinaryong mamayan.

Kalinya na ng Pilipinas ang mga Taliban sa Afghanistan.

Watchdog names 40 ‘predators of the press’

Published by Ellen on May 3, 2010

Philippines makes it to the list

By Laurent Houssay
Agence France-Presse

PARIS—Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders named Monday the world’s 40 worst “predators of the press” including politicians, religious leaders and militias to mark World Press Freedom Day.

“They are powerful, dangerous, violent and above the law”, the Paris-based watchdog RSF said. “These predators of press freedom have the power to censor, imprison, kidnap, torture and, in the worst cases, murder journalists”.

Seventeen presidents and several heads of government are on the list, including China’s Hu Jintao, Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, Cuba’s Raoul Castro and Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

New entrants on the annually-updated list of “predators” include Taliban chief Mullah Omar.

We will miss you, Neonate.

Published by Ellen on April 27, 2010

The April 24, 2010 post in Neonate’s blog, “Winks and Blinks” says:

This is Grace, the daughter of neo.nate. My family and I regret to inform you that my father passed away on April 19, 2010. Thank you for taking an interest in his blog and his writings – it was one of the things that kept him going during his retirement. We miss him very much. RIP Dad.

I only knew Neonate online but I can say that I have been enriched by his participation in this blog. I will miss him too.

I looked at my blog archives and would you believe, Neonate’s comments covered 30 pages since 2005. He was one of the early participants in this blog.

Two explanations

Published by Ellen on April 18, 2010

Last week, I wrote that “The law doesn’t protect deceit” in connection with the report on the fake psychiatric evaluation of Liberal Party presidential candidate Benigno Aquino III and the refusal of ABS-CBN to name the source of fraud.

I’m running here two statements from ABS-CBN on the issue because I believe that it benefits us all to listen to all sides in any issue.
The first article “Telling it like it is” is by Maria A. Ressa, head of ANS-CBN News and Current Affairs and managing director of ANC.
The other article “Name Your (Anonymous) Sources! “ is by Glenda Gloria, chief operations officer of ANC and member of the board of the Public Trust Media Group.

Telling it like it is
by Maria Ressa

Reuters cameraman’s chilling last picture show

Published by Ellen on April 13, 2010

This is journalism!

Click here for the slideshow.

by Nick Macfie
Bangkok
(Reuters) – Seven minutes of film taken by Reuters cameraman Hiro Muramoto illustrate how a scrappy street protest turned deadly on a balmy Bangkok night.

It is some of the last video Muramoto, 43, a father of two young children, ever took. He died on Saturday from a gunshot wound to the chest, his killer unknown.

The film encapsulates the fear, the tension and the sudden, chilling bloodshed after a month of protests by Thailand’s “red shirts” whose anti-government protests had largely been festive and peaceful until then.

Muramoto, a Japanese national who had worked for Reuters in Tokyo for more than 15 years, arrived in Thailand on Thursday. He was taken to hospital two days later without a pulse. The bullet had entered his chest and exited the body through the back.

His camera was returned to Reuters by the protesters. It is not known if the footage was his very last.

Category: Media