khanterbury tales

2011-10-27T11:08:00.002+08:00

NOTICE: This Blog will migrate on OCT. 30, 2012 to:

http://khanterbury.wordpress.com/

To my J102 and J110 classes,

You can view the breakdown of your grade from my Journ Class Wiki.

J102 Final Exam

2011-09-28T15:59:00.003+08:00

NOTICE: This Blog will migrate on OCT. 30, 2012 to:

http://khanterbury.wordpress.com/

To my J102 class,

1. You can download your final exam from my Journ Class Wiki.

2. Also, please check the grades I posted there and see if this matches the papers I returned to you.

J102 fieldtrip

2011-09-08T09:38:00.002+08:00

Field Trip to the Supreme Court on Sept. 14. We will meet in the SC Lobby on Padre Faura at 1:55pm. Please come in proper attire (no slippers or shorts) and bring your UP I.D.

DEADLINE, a film about media killings

2011-06-21T11:18:00.000+08:00

DEADLINE
A film on media killings and warlordism in the Philippines

directed by Joel C. Lamangan

written by Bonifacio P. Ilagan

Starring Tirso Cruz III, Allen Dizon, TJ Trinidad,Luis Alandy and Lovi Poe

with Jaime Pebanco,Toni Mabesa, John Apacible,Richard Quan, Benjie Felipe,Dessa Ilagan & Raquel Villavicencio.

SUMMARY
HENRY ROSALES, indefatigable reporter of the Philippine Sentinel and president of the crusading Philippine League of Journalists, is abducted and his corpse found along a provincial highway near Metro Manila. His death adds up to the series of media killings that would later earn for the Philippines the tag "most dangerous place in the world for journalists" – surpassing even war-torn Iraq.

It turns out that Gov. Muntazir Ghazi (fearfully called Gob) of the province of Abdul Rabb has masterminded his murder on account of his writeups about – what else, but media killings as they connect with warlordism in the country. What has completely incensed the Gob was Henry's attempt to zero in on him being the most powerful and scheming among the warlords -- which he is. A close ally of the Philippine president, he built his private army with the support of the national government

The Gob also learns that two journalists right in his regional turf have provided Henry with his nefarious record. He promptly orders the execution of Azad Sinan and Claire Pasilan, both of the Mindanao Weekly Herald. His men bungle the job and the two are able to grab another chance at life. He orders them hunted down. His minions do, crushing everyone who happens to be on their way. In the heat of the news, Henry's fiancée, the popular television journalist Greta Manarang, gets entangled with Metro Times Manila columnist Ross Rivera, an avowed defender of the establishment.

Henry's death causes an epiphany of sorts for Ross, leading him to gradually abandon his intransigence towards the progressives in the media. (He and Henry have become friends just before the latter's murder.) He finds himself doing a most unlikely job, that is, unmasking the murderers of Henry. Greta does not buy it.

Greta secures the assignment from her TV station to do an investigative report on the death of Henry. She goes to Abdul Rabb where she is upset to find Ross, also on a mission, though personal, to confirm the Gob's culpability in the death of Henry.

Meanwhile, Azad and Claire escape the wrath of the Gob one last time, but at the expense of the lives of their benefactors Wahid and James. They are also able to connect with Greta who brings them to safety – with a little help from Ross.

The Philippine League of Journalists presents Azad, Claire and Jehan (Azad's sister) in a press conference that gets bombed out by the Gob. Some fifty-one people, including Claire and thirty other journalists, are killed in the presscon bloodbath. Azad survives but loses an arm. Greta and Ross also survive. Evidence immediately surfaces assigning criminal responsibility to the Gob.

The president declares martial law in Abdul Rabb. The aim is to contain public outrage over the mass murders, and also to silence the Gob who could expose how the president and her party actually stole the election. In the ensuing police and military operation against the Abdul Rabb private army, the Gob and his henchmen are themselves massacred by state security forces to keep peace and order in the land. #

Chit's 40th day Commemoration, Interment

2011-06-21T05:42:00.002+08:00

6:30am Run for Road Safety
11:00am Tree planting and raising of the Chit Estella Freedom of the Press marker
1:30pm Convoy to San Agustin Church, Manila
3:00pm Funeral Mass, followed by Interment

CWTS I-II

2011-05-18T22:05:00.000+08:00

Culminating activity will push thru on Friday, May 20, at 2pm at the CMC auditorium. Please bring all your pending requirements with you.

beware of hoax phone calls

2011-05-18T19:08:00.000+08:00

Last Wednesday, while I was at work someone called my house at around 2:30pm identifying himself as a policeman from Pasay City and told my housemate that I had an accident. Moreover, he told her that I had caused the accident and that she should not "call me on the cellphone" because this had been confiscated by the police. He scared her saying that I was wounded and could not talk and that she should meet him in PGH. Of course, my friend texted me and soon found out that I was safe. In fact, this happened at the close of our tribute to Chit Estella.

While, this is an old modus operandi..I thought that I would share this with all of you because of another phone call received in my house on the morning of the same day; this time answered by our apartment's receptionist. It was a call from a man claiming to be from Bayantel, asking if I was in and when told that I was out, inquired where I was and what time I would return. Of course, the only reply he received from the receptionist was "I don't know." I think this is significantly linked to the hoax call because the only document that links me to my present address and telephone number is my Globelines phonebill. All other bills and documents still contain my old address. So could this be an inside job...could an employee from Globelines be an informer for the dugo-dugo gang or the like?

Culminating Acty for CWTS

2011-05-14T22:48:00.004+08:00

Dear students,
In case you had not heard, Journalism Prof. Chit Simbulan died in a car accident last Friday night. We will be hosting a tribute for her on Monday at 6pm at Arlington Memorial and on Wednesday at the College. Hence, we will postpone the culminating activity for CWTS and move it to Friday, May 20 at 2pm...tentative venue is the CMC auditorium.

CWTS II requirements

2011-05-06T09:14:00.002+08:00

Hi students,
Make sure you have these requirements by May 18:
1. DTR with the 50 hours duly recorded
2. Evaluation form c/o ate Mila
3. Essay/reflection on experience

Am NOT requiring book review on the 7 Habits. Optional (but highly recommended) reading ito. See you May 18...please stay tuned for final arrangments for culminating acty.

CWTS I-II

2011-04-20T14:47:00.002+08:00

Please wear your U.P. Physical Ed. t-shirts with jeans on Monday, April 25. Groupings will be posted outside the auditorium on Monday..see you.

3rd ACMC International Conference, Oct 2012

2011-02-06T12:14:00.002+08:00

convergence news: Sony's new Internet TV

2010-10-30T23:42:00.000+08:00

Sony launched today the world’s first HD Internet TV, powered by Google TV, which allows the viewer to watch HDTV, use apps and browse the World Wide Web from a single device.

The new Sony Internet TV combines the electronic company’s hardware expertise with Google’s open software to provide viewers an easy to use multimedia experience, from broadcast to video streaming to quick web searches.

Sony Home Division vice president Mike Abary said the new product will, “deliver an unrivaled entertainment experience.” Abary also noted that “finally, you can seamlessly search your favorite TV programs and web sites on the same screen, at the same time.”

Featuring four LCD HDTVs with Google TV built-in, the Sony Internet TV line includes the 24-inch class NSX-24GT1 ($599.99), the 32-inch class NSX-32GT1 ($799.99), the 40-inch NSX-40GT1 ($999.99), and the 46-inch NSX-46GT1 ($1,399.99). It is built on the Android platform and runs the Google Chrome browser. The product also includes a powerful Intel® Atom® processor which offers the user the ability to quickly search across Internet and television content for easy access to entertainment and information. Moreover, the models also feature Dual View, allowing users to watch television while tweeting about what they’re watching, checking their fantasy football scores, or finding related content on the web.

Its intuitive hand-held RF QWERTY keypad remote incorporates an optical mouse for easier Internet navigation even as it controls the TV’s user interface. The models feature Sony’s premium streaming service “Video On Demand powered by Qriocity™” as well as pre-installed apps including CNBC, Napster, NBA, Netflix, Pandora,® Twitter, and YouTube.™ A built-in Wi-Fi makes it easy to connect to home broadband networks to access web content. Additionally, Sony Internet TV is ready for the future and is fully upgradable through system updates. Beginning 2011, the user will be able to add applications from the Android™ Market. However, there is no news as to when Sony will bring this into the the Philippine market. #

Philippine Thai Cultural Organization, trip to Chiang Mai

2010-10-19T15:25:00.001+08:00

Yearning for Chiang Mai? Dreaming of celebrating Loy Krathong in Chiang Mai? Join the Philippine Thai Cultural Organization to make this dream come true! For $844 per person for double occupancy (or $992 single occupancy), you'll have a five day tour that brings you to Chiang Mai and Bangkok.

The package cost includes roundtrip airfare via Thai Airways, all taxes and surcharges; 4 nights accommodation at Dusit Princess Hotel in Chiang Mai and 1 night at Arnoma Hotel in Bangkok (Dusit Princess is located right at the Chiang Mai Night Market area while Arnoma Hotel in Bangkok is in Ratchadamri Rd front of Central World); private coaches and tour guide; all admission fees and meals as indicated in Chiang Mai and dinner cruise at Chao Phya Princess in Bangkok; and airport transfers.

For inquiries and reservation, please email elenapernia@gmail.com or loisvil@yahoo.com

acty for freshmen

2010-06-17T15:27:00.000+08:00

freshies are invited to:

Don't get injected by DoH's swine flu vaccine

2010-05-06T23:01:00.004+08:00

Daily Mail, London -- Prevention: Is the swine flu jab safe? A warning that the new swine flu jab is linked to a deadly nerve disease has been sent by the Government to senior neurologists in a confidential letter. The letter from the Health Protection Agency, the official body that oversees public health, has been leaked to The Mail on Sunday, leading to demands to know why the information has not been given to the public before the vaccination of millions of people, including children, begins.

It tells the neurologists that they must be alert for an increase in a brain disorder called Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), which could be triggered by the vaccine. GBS attacks the lining of the nerves, causing paralysis and inability to breathe, and can be fatal. The letter, sent to about 600 neurologists on July 29, is the first sign that there is concern at the highest levels that the vaccine itself could cause serious complications. It refers to the use of a similar swine flu vaccine in the United States in 1976 when:

More people died from the vaccination than from swine flu.
500 cases of GBS were detected.
The vaccine may have increased the risk of contracting GBS by eight times.
The vaccine was withdrawn after just ten weeks when the link with GBS became clear.
The US Government was forced to pay out millions of dollars to those affected.

Concerns have already been raised that the new vaccine has not been sufficiently tested and that the effects, especially on children, are unknown. It is being developed by pharmaceutical companies and will be given to about 13million people during the first wave of immunization, expected to start in October.

Top priority will be given to everyone aged six months to 65 with an underlying health problem, pregnant women and health professionals.

The British Neurological Surveillance Unit (BNSU), part of the British Association of Neurologists, has been asked to monitor closely any cases of GBS as the vaccine is rolled out.
One senior neurologist said last night: ‘I would not have the swine flu jab because of the GBS risk.’ There are concerns that there could be a repeat of what became known as the ‘1976 debacle’ in the US, where a swine flu vaccine killed 25 people – more than the virus itself.

A mass vaccination was given the go-ahead by President Gerald Ford because scientists believed that the swine flu strain was similar to the one responsible for the 1918-19 pandemic, which killed half a million Americans and 20million people worldwide.

The swine flu vaccine being offered to children has not been tested on infants

Within days, symptoms of GBS were reported among those who had been immunised and 25 people died from respiratory failure after severe paralysis. One in 80,000 people came down with the condition. In contrast, just one person died of swine flu.

More than 40million Americans had received the vaccine by the time the programme was stopped after ten weeks. The US Government paid out millions of dollars in compensation to those affected. The swine flu virus in the new vaccine is a slightly different strain from the 1976 virus, but the possibility of an increased incidence of GBS remains a concern.

Shadow health spokesman Mike Penning said last night: ‘The last thing we want is secret letters handed around experts within the NHS. We need a vaccine but we also need to know about potential risks. ‘Our job is to make sure that the public knows what’s going on. Why

is the Government not being open about this? It’s also very worrying if GPs, who will be administering the vaccine, aren’t being warned.’

Two letters were posted together to neurologists advising them of the concerns. The first, dated July 29, was written by Professor Elizabeth Miller, head of the HPA’s Immunisation Department.

It says: ‘The vaccines used to combat an expected swine influenza pandemic in 1976 were shown to be associated with GBS and were withdrawn from use.
‘GBS has been identified as a condition needing enhanced surveillance when the swine flu vaccines are rolled out. ‘Reporting every case of GBS irrespective of vaccination or disease history is essential for conducting robust epidemiological analyses capable of identifying whether there is an increased risk of GBS in defined time periods after vaccination, or after influenza itself, compared with the background risk.’

The second letter, dated July 27, is from the Association of British Neurologists and is written by Dr Rustam Al-Shahi Salman, chair of its surveillance unit, and Professor Patrick Chinnery, chair of its clinical research committee.

It says: ‘Traditionally, the BNSU has monitored rare diseases for long periods of time. However, the swine influenza (H1N1) pandemic has overtaken us and we need every member’s involvement with a new BNSU survey of Guillain-Barre Syndrome that will start on August 1 and run for approximately nine months.

‘Following the 1976 programme of vaccination against swine influenza in the US, a retrospective study found a possible eight-fold increase in the incidence of GBS.
‘Active prospective ascertainment of every case of GBS in the UK is required. Please tell BNSU about every case. ‘You will have seen Press coverage describing the Government’s concern about releasing a vaccine of unknown safety.’

If there are signs of a rise in GBS after the vaccination programme begins, the Government could decide to halt it. GBS attacks the lining of the nerves, leaving them unable to transmit signals to muscles effectively.

It can cause partial paralysis and mostly affects the hands and feet. In serious cases, patients need to be kept on a ventilator, but it can be fatal. Death is caused by paralysis of the respiratory system, causing the victim to suffocate.

It is not known exactly what causes GBS and research on the subject has been inconclusive.
However, it is thought that one in a million people who have a seasonal flu vaccination could be at risk and it has also been linked to people recovering from a bout of flu of any sort.

The HPA said it was part of the Government’s pandemic plan to monitor GBS cases in the event of a mass vaccination campaign, regardless of the strain of flu involved.

But vaccine experts warned that the letters proved the programme was a ‘guinea-pig trial’.
Dr Tom Jefferson, co-ordinator of the vaccines section of the influential Cochrane Collaboration, an independent group that reviews research, said: ‘New vaccines never behave in the way you expect them to. It may be that there is a link to GBS, which is certainly not something I would wish on anybody.

‘But it could end up being anything because one of the additives in one of the vaccines is a substance called squalene, and none of the studies we’ve extracted have any research on it at all.’

He said squalene, a naturally occurring enzyme, could potentially cause so-far-undiscovered side effects.

Jackie Fletcher, founder of vaccine support group Jabs, said: ‘The Government would not be anticipating this if they didn’t think there was a connection. What we’ve got is a massive guinea-pig trial.’

Professor Chinnery said: ‘During the last swine flu pandemic, it was observed that there was an increased frequency of cases of GBS. No one knows whether it was the virus or the vaccine that caused this.

‘The purpose of the survey is for us to assess rapidly whether there is an increase in the frequency of GBS when the vaccine is released in the UK. It also increases consultants’ awareness of the condition.

Panic over? The number of swine flu cases has fallen sharply in the past few weeks
‘This is a belt-and-braces approach to safety and is not something people should be substantially worried about as it’s a rare condition.’ If neurologists do identify a case of GBS, it will be logged on a central database. Details about patients, including blood samples, will be collected and monitored by the HPA.

It is hoped this will help scientists establish why some people develop the condition and whether it is directly related to the vaccine. But some question why there needs to be a vaccine, given the risks. Dr Richard Halvorsen, author of The Truth About Vaccines, said: ‘For people with serious underlying health problems, the risk of dying from swine flu is probably greater than the risk of side effects from the vaccine.

‘But it would be tragic if we repeated the US example and ended up with more casualties from the jabs.‘I applaud the Government for recognising the risk but in most cases this is a mild virus which needs a few days in bed. I’d question why we need a vaccine at all.’
Professor Miller at the HPA said: ‘This monitoring system activates pandemic plans that have been in place for a number of years. We’ll be able to get information on whether a patient has had a prior influenza illness and will look at whether influenza itself is linked to GBS.
‘We are not expecting a link to the vaccine but a link to disease, which would make having the vaccine even more important.’

The UK’s medicines watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, is already monitoring reported side effects from Tamiflu and Relenza and it is set to extend that surveillance to the vaccine.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: ‘The European Medicines Agency has strict processes in place for licensing pandemic vaccines.

‘In preparing for a pandemic, appropriate trials to assess safety and the immune responses have been carried out on vaccines very similar to the swine flu vaccine. The vaccines have been shown to have a good safety profile.

‘It is extremely irresponsible to suggest that the UK would use a vaccine without careful

consideration of safety issues. The UK has one of the most successful immunisation programmes in the world.’

Victim: Hilary Wilkinson spent three months in hospital after she was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. When Hilary Wilkinson woke up with muscle weakness in her left arm and difficulty breathing, doctors initially put it down to a stroke. But within hours, she was on a ventilator in intensive care after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

She spent three months in hospital and had to learn how to talk and walk again. But at times, when she was being fed through a drip and needed a tracheotomy just to breathe, she doubted whether she would survive.

The mother of two, 57, from Maryport, Cumbria, had been in good health until she developed a chest infection in March 2006. She gradually became so weak she could not walk downstairs.
Doctors did not diagnose Guillain-Barre until her condition worsened in hospital and tests showed her reflexes slowing down. It is impossible for doctors to know how she contracted the disorder, although it is thought to be linked to some infections.

Mrs Wilkinson said: ‘It was very scary. I couldn’t eat and I couldn’t speak. My arms and feet had no strength and breathing was hard.

I was treated with immunoglobulin, which are proteins found in blood, to stop damage to my nerves. After ten days, I still couldn’t speak and had to mime to nurses or my family.
‘It was absolutely horrendous and I had no idea whether I would get through it. You reach very dark moments at such times and wonder how long it can last. But I’m a very determined person and I had lots of support.’ After three weeks, she was transferred to a neurological ward, where she had an MRI scan and nerve tests to assess the extent of the damage.
Still unable to speak and in a wheelchair, Mrs Wilkinson eventually began gruelling physiotherapy to improve her muscle strength and movement but it was exhausting and painful.
Three years later, she is almost fully recovered. She can now walk for several miles at a time, has been abroad and carries out voluntary work for a GBS Support Group helpline.
She said: ‘It makes me feel wary that the Government is rolling out this vaccine without any clear idea of the GBS risk, if any. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone and it certainly changed my life.
‘I’m frightened to have the swine flu vaccine if this might happen again – it’s a frightening illness and I think more research needs to be done on the effect of the vaccine.’
Hotline staff given access to confidential

Confidential NHS staff records and disciplinary complaints could be accessed by hundreds of workers manning the Government’s special swine flu hotline.
They were able to browse through a database of emails containing doctors’ and nurses’ National Insurance numbers, home addresses, dates of birth, mobile phone numbers and scanned passport pages – all details that could be used fraudulently.
And private and confidential complaints sent by hospitals about temporary medical staff – some of whom were named – were also made available to the call-centre workers, who were given a special password to log in to an internal NHS website.
It could be a breach of the Data Protection Act.
--Jo Macfarlane,15th August 2009

Novena prayer for the 9 days preceding the 2010 elections

2010-05-01T16:41:00.001+08:00

(Sign of the cross)

Father in heaven, You wish us as Christians and citizens in our country to strive to participate with our people fully and faithfully toward the building up of a society and a nation whose social and political order is founded on the truth, guided by justice, realized in freedom, flowering in peace.

You remind us in the Scriptures that Unless the Lord build the city, they labor in vain who wish to raise it, that not in personal lives alone but in social and political strivings also, “without me You can do nothing,’ without You, Lord, we cannot deeply and lastingly bring to realization a true moral and spiritual renewal in our land.

We turn to You then, Lord at this crucial time when our local and national elections are about to take place and we beg You for our people and our nation and for ourselves.

That You may enlighten our minds and guide our consciences ever to place the common good of our nation and our people, especially the good of those who are poor and have less in life, above all other lesser interests hat those we vote for will be those who will strive to serve our people’s interests and not their own, above everything else; that they be those who will seek to make Your will and Your purposes truly present and operative in the governance of our society and in the working out of true solidarity and peace among our people; that they will never sacrifice truth and justice to the pursuit of gain and their narrow self-interest through lying, corruption and greed;

That You may purify the spirit in all those charged with the due realization of these elections, so that they will fulfill their tasks and duties in total obedience to the laws of our land, with complete integrity, honesty and transparency seeking only that the will of our people and their free and rightful voice may truly express Your voice for us.

That the efforts of those who for their own interests seek to frustrate the full and honest exercise of our people’s right and duty in the electoral processes, be thoroughly thwarted by the vigilance, steadfastness and courage of those who will uphold, defend and guard our democracy and our democratic freedoms with conscience, integrity and al l their rightful might.

Heart of Jesus, pierced for our sakes at this crucial time of history, lead all our people to the ways of truth and wisdom, love, selflessness and self-sacrifice which You gave us as the law of our own living. Be with us now, Heart of our Savior and have mercy on our people and our land.

Immaculate Heart of Mary beloved mother of our people, intercede for us with Your son that we may fulfill our rights and duties during these elections with true purity of mind with conscience and courage. BE with us, our Mother and pray for our people and our land.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be (3x)

Perils of Population Control

2010-04-25T12:09:00.004+08:00

Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew discusses the problem of a dwindling population in his native land. Twenty years ago, he was a pro-population control advocate.

Getting Away With Murder: CPJ’s 2010 Impunity Index

2010-04-21T09:48:00.002+08:00

CPJ, New York—Deadly, unpunished violence against the press has soared in the Philippines and Somalia, the Committee to Protect Journalists has found in its newly updated Impunity Index, a list of countries where journalists are killed regularly and governments fail to solve the crimes. Impunity in journalist murders also rose significantly in Russia and Mexico, two countries with long records of entrenched, anti-press violence.

But Brazil and Colombia, historically two of the world’s deadliest nations for the press, each made marked improvement in curbing deadly violence against journalists and bringing killers to justice, CPJ found. Recent convictions in Brazil, in fact, moved the country off the index entirely.

“We’ve heard repeated pledges from governments that the killers of journalists will face justice, but until these promises are fulfilled, media will continue to be targeted by those who believe they are above the law and immune from consequences,” said Joel Simon, CPJ’s executive director. “One country, Brazil, made its way off this list of shame by investigating and prosecuting the perpetrators in these crimes.”

This is the third year CPJ has published its Impunity Index, which calculates the number of unsolved journalist murders as a percentage of a country’s population. In compiling the index, CPJ examined journalist murders in every nation in the world for the years 2000 through 2009. Cases are considered unsolved when no convictions have been obtained. Only those nations with five or more unsolved cases are included on the index, a threshold reached by 12 countries this year.

Two countries immersed in conflict top the list. Iraq is at number one with 88 unsolved journalist murders, while Somalia is second, reflecting insurgents’ routine use of violence to control the news media. But many of the remaining countries on the index present themselves as democracies with functioning law enforcement, nations such as India, Russia, the Philippines, and Mexico.

In the Philippines, a record 30 journalists and two media support workers were brutally murdered in an election-related massacre in Maguindanao province in 2009, catapulting the country from sixth to third on the index. The massacre overshadowed gains that Philippine authorities had made, winning convictions in two journalist murders. In Russia, which is ranked eighth on the index, three journalists were slain in 2009, bringing the country’s 10-year total of unsolved murders to 18. Mexico moved up two spots, to ninth, reflecting the ongoing, unchecked violence against crime reporters in that country.

In many nations on the list, the plague of impunity is having a broader effect on society as a whole, effectively choking off the flow of news and information. In Sri Lanka, fourth on the index with 10 unsolved murders, many of the county’s most senior journalists have fled into exile in fear that they, too, would be targeted. In countries such as Mexico, CPJ research shows that self-censorship has been so widespread that major events and issues have gone uncovered.

CPJ developed the Impunity Index in 2008 to monitor trends over time in countries where journalists are regularly murdered and law enforcement falters. It is compiled as part of CPJ’s Global Campaign Against Impunity, which seeks justice in the murders of journalists. Underwritten by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the campaign has focused on two of the world’s worst offenders, Russia and the Philippines.

“Our goal in compiling this index is to spur leaders in these nations to action,” said CPJ’s Simon. “Many of these cases are solvable—the perpetrators have been identified but authorities lack the political will to prosecute.”

CPJ is releasing the 2010 Impunity Index to coincide with an international summit on impunity being held today and Wednesday in New York. The summit will convene press defenders and journalists from around the world to coordinate and improve strategies to reverse deadly violence against the press.

Among the other findings in CPJ’s Impunity Index:

Impunity in media killings is acute in South Asia. Six nations in the region—Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India— are included on the 2010 list.
Worldwide, more than 90 percent of victims are local reporters covering sensitive topics such as crime, corruption, and national security in their home countries.
In Brazil, prosecutors recently won convictions against four men, including three members of the military police, in the 2007 murder of Luiz Carlos Barbon Filho. Brazilian authorities have successfully prosecuted several other journalist murders in recent years. With only four unsolved murders still on the books, Brazil no longer meets the threshold for inclusion on the index.
Some other notable convictions took place in the last year. In the Philippines, a suspect was convicted in the 2006 murder of Armando Pace, while another defendant was convicted in the 2005 killing of Edgar Amoro. In a landmark Colombian case, three former public officials were convicted on charges of plotting the 2003 murder of radio commentator José Emeterio Rivas.
Threats against journalists are a key indicator, CPJ research shows. In at least four out of every 10 journalist murders, the victims reported receiving threats before they were killed.
Killers of journalists aim to send a chilling message to the entire news media. Almost a third of murdered journalists were either taken captive or tortured before their death. #

student web projects

2010-03-27T16:49:00.002+08:00

Time flies and another semester is over. While all projects are not created equal, I thought I'd post some of my students' online journalism projects for all to see:

1. Branded Nationalism -- is "an exploration of the current fashion trend of patriotism and national identity.

2.In the Margins - a site about Sto. Nino, a peasant community at the foot of the Sierra Madre Mountains. It explores the irony of living in a "paradise" but living on a "hand-to-mouth" existence.

3. Boto Kabataan - takes a closer look at the UP-CMC mock 2010 presidential polls.

4. Palengkera - the site explores the urban "palengke" as a microcosm of society.

Vitug received death threats

2010-03-23T08:06:00.002+08:00

CMFR/PHILIPPINES - After a Supreme Court justice filed 13 counts of libel against her in connection with an article she wrote last year, journalist Marites Dañguilan Vitug received death threats she believes to be connected with her book on the judiciary.

Vitug, editor of the media organization Newsbreak and editor of the online news magazine abs-cbnNEWS.com, believes the threats were connected to her recently released book "Shadow of Doubt: Probing the Supreme Court".

The book is on the controversies surrounding the Supreme Court and its justices. It was launched last 16 March 2010. (To find out more about the said publication, please visit http://www.shadowofdoubt.info/.)

Vitug received threatening text messages in the early afternoon of March 22. The messages were sent through mobile number (+63)909-134-8825. CMFR dialed the number but could not make a connection. The first message, Vitug said, was about "the pen being mightier than the sword. But the sword kills faster than the word."

The second message was more direct but its seriousness only dawned on her after reading it for the third time, she said. "Kaya pala maraming napapatay na journalist,dahil katulad mo. May katuwiran pala si Ampatuan na pagpapatayin ang mga journalist. Sana nakasama ka doon. Malay mo malapit na (Now I know why many journalists are killed. It's because they were like you. Ampatuan did have a reason to kill those journalists. You should have been with them. Who knows, you might be next)," the second message read.

"Ampatuan" refers to Datu Andal "Unsay" Ampatuan, the primary accused in the killing of at least 57 persons including 32 journalists and media practitioners last 23 November 2009 at Ampatuan town, Maguindanao. The 32 journalists/media practitioners joined the convoy of the Mangudadatus to cover the filing of the Certificate of Candidacy of Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu for governorship of Maguindanao, which is said to be the bailiwick of the Ampatuans. Ampatuan allegedly masterminded the Ampatuan massacre. His father Andal Sr., brothers and other followers are also facing murder charges in connection with the massacre.

Vitug told CMFR she has reported the threat to National Capital Region Police Office chief Police Director Roberto Rosales. Rosales has yet to get back to her regarding the details of the sender. She also said she "want(s) to make (the threat) public because this is the best protection."

Meanwhile, Vitug will meet with her lawyers to discuss her reply to the libel complaint filed against her by Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco. She said she has yet to receive an official copy of the complaint because she only got a copy from other journalists. The libel complaint is based on an article she wrote last year on the alleged involvement of Justice Velasco in his son's campaign in Marinduque province ("SC justice in partisan politics?", 03 December 2009). Marinduque is a province approximately 171 kilometers from Manila. #

grades online

2010-03-05T14:04:00.000+08:00

Dear students,
Please check your grades for the 2nd semester by clicking here. You may also click on your respective courses in the sidebar of this blog to see the class syllabus which has the % breakdown of your grades.

Justice for Pagadian based journalist

2010-01-29T16:04:00.001+08:00

CMFR/PHILIPPINES - A local court in Cebu City has found the accused killer of radio broadcaster Edgar Amoro, a key witness in the killing of his fellow Pagadian City-based broadcaster, Edgar Damalerio in May 2002, guilty. Cebu City is approximately 572 kilometers from Manila.

In a 19-page decision dated 28 December 2009, Branch 6 Judge Ester Veloso of the Cebu City Regional Trial Court (RTC) sentenced Muhammad "Madix" Maulana to life imprisonment for the 2005 murder of Amoro. The court also ordered Maulana to pay the family of Edgar Amoro: P50,000 (approximately USD 1,076) as civil indemnity, P100,000 (approximately USD 2,151) for moral damages, P25,000 (approximately USD 538) for exemplary damages, and P20,000 ((approximately USD 432) for temperate damages.

The decision was promulgated last 26 January 2010.

The court said Maulana's alibi that he could not have been in Pagadian during the attack because he was attending a wedding in Binwatan, a town two hours from Pagadian City, did not hold water. "The accused's denial and alibi cannot be sustained in the light of the positive identification of him as the perpetrator of crime," the court said. "It could not have been physically impossible therefore for the accused to be at Pagadian at the time of the incident."

The court found that on 2 February 2005, Maulana and two accomplices attacked Amoro on his way home from the public high school where he was teaching in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur. The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) learned that Amoro was murdered because of his positive identification of the gunman in the killing of Damalerio in May 2002. Amoro and Edgar Onogue, who were with Damalerio when they were attacked, positively identified police officer Guillermo Wapile as the gunman. Amoro was also actively helping Gemma, the widow of Damalerio, in the prosecution of her husband's killer.

The Amoro family said in an earlier interview that Edgar Amoro had been receiving threats from Wapile and his group since 2002. (Ironically, the death of Amoro occurred when the Damalerio case was being transferred to Cebu for the safety of the witnesses involved in the case.) Wapile was convicted in November 2005. Amoro's daughter, Edel Grace, told CMFR that the conviction of Maulana brought "relief" to her "troubled mind." "It's the fulfillment of my promise to my dad (to find justice)," she added.

"The successful promulgation of the Amoro murder case, a sequel to the brutal killing of broadcast journalist Edgar Damalerio, serves as another breakthrough in the prosecution service's efficiency in handling media murder cases, notwithstanding the many challenges we face in the name of truth and justice" Edel Grace said in a January 26 statement.

The Cebu Daily News reported that the lawyer of Maulana will file a motion for reconsideration questioning the decision of the RTC Cebu Branch 6. Lawyer Ferdinand Pablo told Cebu Daily News that the basis of the decision-which he described as the "dying declaration" of Amoro that Maulana shot him-"was not supported by any evidence as it was not stated in the complaint-affidavit of Erlinda. The victim immediately died and there was no chance for him to talk to his wife."

Reports said that Maulana will be transferred to the National Penitentiary in Muntinlupa City. Another suspect in the killing of Amoro, Norham Ambol, is still at large.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACTION AGAINST IMPUNITY

2009-12-08T12:22:00.001+08:00

Please join:
What: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACTION AGAINST IMPUNITY
Who: November 23 Movement & the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
When: Wednesday, 9 December 2009
Where & What Time:
9:30 a.m. – Assembly in front of UST along Espana Avenue, Manila
10 a.m – Start of march towards Mendiola (Chino Roces) bridge
10: 30 a.m. – Start of media-led program at the foot of Mendiola
1:30 p.m. – Closing of program
Why: To call for justice for the victims of the Ampatuan/Maguindanao massacre and for independent investigation of this heinous crime

* Three mock coffins would be carried, representing the issues/sectors which the Ampatuan Massacre attacked: Media, Rule of Law, and Accountability
* It would be a BLACK day. All would be wearing black shirts and arm bands!
* Rallyists would also tie black ribbons around posts and trees during the march.
* Artists, religious workers, youth, farmers, indigenous peoples, political activists, writers, teachers, urban poor, and other concerned citizens would join.
* Please join us as we march together for true justice for our colleagues and all other victims of the massacre, and to finally end culture of impunity!

The November 23 Movement is a loose coalition of media organizations calling for justice to fellow journalists and other innocent civilians who were abducted, slaughtered and hastily buried in mass graves in Ampatuan, Maguindanao on November 23, 2009. It has been calling for an independent investigation of the crime that killed 30 journalists in a single attack, suddenly catapulting the Philippines as the world’s deadliest place for journalists.#

Statement on the Maguindanao Massacre

2009-11-28T01:20:00.000+08:00

The mutilated bodies of journalists Ian Subang (Dadiangas Times), Leah Dalmacio (Forum), Gina dela Cruz (Today), Marites Cablitas (Today), Joy Duhay (UNTV), Henry Araneta (DZRH), Andy Teodoro (Mindanao Inquirer), Neneng Montaño (formerly of RGMA), Bong Reblando, (Manila Bulletin), Victor Nuñez (UNTV), Mark Gilbert Ariola (UNTV), Jimmy Cabillo (UNTV), Jolito Evardo (UNTV, still missing), Daniel Tiamson (UNTV), Eugene Dohillo (UNTV), Bart Maravilla (Bombo Radyo, Koronadal) and lawyers Cynthia Oquendo and Connie Brizuela were recovered hours after they had set out to cover the filing of certificates of candidacy by the wife of a local official in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao yesterday.

The journalists and media practitioners were part of a convoy of some 44 unarmed civilians, most of them women, who were waylaid on their way to the Comelec office. According to reports, the skulls of some of the victims were shattered with bullets, their faces crushed beyond recognition, the women raped, and some of the other victims beheaded.

This is the largest number of journalists killed in one single incident anywhere in the world and comes amid local and international concern over deadly attacks on media people.

While the killings were the result of the long-running feud between the Ampatuans and the Mangudadatus, both maintain private armies that the government has failed to disband. The President relies on her allies to deliver votes to Malacañang, some of whom maintain heavily armed goons beyond the pale of law. Covering elections has become a dangerous trade for journalists in this country. The massacre is in short the direct consequence of the state of lawlessness in Maguindanao abetted by the Arroyo regime, in the same manner that it abets and in some cases even encourages, extra judicial killings-- and in the case of journalists, encourages further killings through its indifference.

While the massacre was being perpetrated, the President’s chief political adviser was in fact shaking hands with the Ampatuans in Malacañang yesterday, even as the PNP chief for Maguindanao refused to respond when the victims were calling him up by cellphone. In an obvious attempt at benefitting from the brutal killings—and in tacit admission that the military and police cannot do anything to prevent further violence without special powers-- the presidential adviser on the peace process, Jesus Dureza, could only propose the declaration of a state of emergency in Maguindanao.

The country has been down that road before, and we know where it leads: to further violence as the police and military mask their partisanship for the various groups fighting for power in the province; as well as to further abuse as they impose the will of their patrons on the citizenry.

The U.P. College of Mass Communication holds the Arroyo government accountable for the continuing state of lawless violence in Maguindanao and other parts of the country.

We demand that the President be made to account for the murders and mayhem perpetrated by her allies and for her continued coddling of warlords and private armies. We demand the immediate arrest of the thugs armed with unlicensed firearms as well as their bosses, and the immediate arrest and detention of the perpetrators of the crime and its masterminds regardless of political party.

Mrs. Arroyo should otherwise relinquish control of the AFP units in the area to the Comelec. Her failure to act decisively would not only demonstrate that she has no control over those areas where her allies rule. It would also show that she has a conflict of interest—between her public duty to protect the life of every Filipino on the one hand, and on the other, her interest in coddling the warlords who have delivered votes for her administration in the past regardless of their cost in lives, and on whom she will once again depend in May, 2010.

J195 field trip

2009-09-12T21:57:00.004+08:00

Punlaan School
Address: 173 M.Paterno Street, San Juan. Tel /Fax : 727-05-81/82
It is a non-profit technical-vocational school (NGO) and tourism training center accredited by the
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Tourism (DOT), and Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP) amongst others, and duly registered at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). It aims especially to help women with fewer means to acquire the general culture and the specific formation needed to work in tourism-related establishments. Aside from proportioning academic and technical skills, a distinct feature of its educational approach is the emphasis placed on character-building and work ethics.

Option 2 for guys only: Motoring story, please text me for details. :)

Edward Kennedy's Last Letter to Pope

2009-08-30T09:15:00.000+08:00

WASHINGTON, D.C., SEP. 1, 2009 (Zenit.org).- At Saturday's funeral of U.S. Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy, a letter was revealed in which the dying man wrote to Benedict XVI, confessing his imperfections and asking for prayers.

In Arlington National Cemetery, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, former archbishop of Washington, read parts of the letter that Kennedy wrote to the Pope shortly before his death.

The letter, which was hand delivered to the Pontiff by U.S. President Barack Obama last June, stated, "I am writing with deep humility to ask that you pray for me as my own health declines."

The senator explained: "I was diagnosed with brain cancer more than a year ago and although I continue treatment, the disease is taking its toll on me. I am 77 years old and preparing for the next passage of life."

The gift of faith, Kennedy affirmed, "has sustained and nurtured and provides solace to me in the darkest hours."

He acknowledged, "I know that I have been an imperfect human being, but with the help of my faith I have tried to right my path."

The senator underlined his belief "in a conscience protection for Catholics in the health field," and emphasized his commitment to "continue to advocate for it as my colleagues in the Senate as I work to develop an overall national health policy that guarantees health care for everyone."

His letter concluded: "I have always tried to be a faithful Catholic, Your Holiness, and though I have fallen short through human failings, I have never failed to believe and respect the fundamental teachings of my faith.

"I continue to pray for God's blessings on you and on our church and would be most thankful for your prayers for me."

Cardinal McCarrick noted that the Holy Father sent a response with Obama to give to Kennedy, who died Aug. 25.

The prelate read excerpts of it, in which the Pontiff expressed a prayer for that the senator would be "sustained in faith and hope, and granted the precious grace of joyful surrender to the will of God, our merciful Father."

Sun.Star Davao editors get death threats

2009-08-25T17:36:00.001+08:00

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/23 August) – Someone wants the editors of SunStar Davao dead, allegedly because their reports are biased in favor of City Hall, an allegation editor in chief Stella Estremera denied.

Estremera said the person who sent them death threats did not specify the stories or instances when the paper was reportedly biased.

The two text messages from an unlisted number were received by an editor of Sun.Star Davao. The messages carried the threat, "isang bala ka lang” (all it takes is one bullet).

A text message from cellphone number 09179125620 was first received at 7:20 p.m. of August 20 by news editor Gigie Agtay, accusing Sun.Star Davao of being biased and Estremera of being in the payroll of City Hall. The message, while sent to Agtay, was addressed to Estremera. It read:

"Hi stella, we knw na kasali ka payrol ng city hall. Pero huwag mong kalimotan puede kang isang bala kalang. Sayang lang galing mo. Nabulag ka sa katotohanan. BE FAIR NAMAN IN REPORTING. Maybe u knw what i mean. Dont be bias. Ang panahun baya ay weather2 lang."

The second message was received at 9:07 p.m. of the same day, this time addressed to Agtay. It read:

"ikaw din gigi pagsabihan mo yan kaibigan mo si stela. be fair in ur reporting hindi bias. naging most outstanding kayo hndi lahat panahon kayo nasa ibabaw. isang bala lang kayo."
Estremera denied being in the City Hall payroll and that the newspaper reports are biased.

"The stories can speak for themselves," she said, adding, "we take our job seriously."

She said this is the first time they have been accused of biased reporting and being paid hacks. (MindaNews)

Lasallian Scholarum Awards for youth and education reporting

2009-08-17T13:07:00.003+08:00

De La Salle Universitys annual Lasallian Scholarum Awards honored the countrys outstanding print, photo, broadcast, and campus journalists for their impressive reportage on various youth and education issues last August 14 at The Conservatory, The Manila Peninsula, Makati City.

For responding to this years theme, Know the youth. Know the truth. winners from the five categories (published feature story on youth and education, published photograph on youth and education, televised feature on youth and education, published feature story on youth and education in a school organ, and published feature story on DLSU) each received cash prizes and an Orlina glass sculpture trophy.

Stephanie Dychius article in Marie Claire Philippines titled New lives for teen gangs won outstanding published feature on youth and education for capturing the true stories of the youth immersed in gang lifestyles and how a group of individuals responded to change the course of their lives.

Manila Bulletin photojournalist Regie Mason won outstanding published photograph for his photograph, Left alone amid dangers while Linus Guardian Escandor, also of Manila Bulletin, was given an honorable mention for his photograph, US helicopter lands in Dumagat Country.

GMAs Howie Severino, meanwhile, bagged his second Scholarum Award in the Outstanding Televised Feature on Youth and Education category for his daring exposition of sex education and family planning, Papa papa, paano ako ginawa?

Hazel Joy Galamay of Far Eastern Universitys student publication, the Advocate, won outstanding feature on youth and education in a school organ for the article FEUs artistic heritage: Renewing a sense of pride.

Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist Augusto Villalon won the outstanding feature on De La Salle University with his article, La Salle Building cited on international architecture list for his illustration of DLSUs rich history and legacy through its oldest building, the St. La Salle Building.

This years board of judges is composed of Isabela Governor and 2008 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee Grace Padaca, RFM Corporation Chairman and CEO Joey Concepcion, Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. President Rina Lopez-Bautista, De La Salle Universitys Marketing Communication Office Executive Director Ayi Magpayo, and Chairperson of University of the Philippines Journalism Department Rachel Khan, who serves as this year's chair of the Board of Judges.

The Scholarum Awards, which is now on its sixth year, is the universitys means to encourage journalists to provide the public with an intelligent discussion of timely youth and education topics in mass media.

Also, the Scholarum Awards aims to urge various sectors, including governments and private organizations, to be actively involved in addressing the critical issues confronting the youth, particularly their education. This endeavor is envisioned to motivate key sectors and individuals to contribute towards youth development through various initiatives in education.#

In Pace: President Cory Aquino

2009-08-02T21:56:00.006+08:00

This video made me cry....how could I not recall those memorable days of covering her in Malacanang:

She died on August 1, the 1st Saturday of the month. For those with a devotion to Our Lady (and Tita Cory did!), this is significant...it means that Our Lady took her straight to the heavenly home. :)

World Press Photo 2009, Philippines

2009-07-30T10:07:00.003+08:00

Dear J195 students,
Here are the details of your next coverage assignment:

The World Press Photo 2009 Exhibition.
The Block, SM North EDSA
Aug 9-14
With 196 pictures of photographers from 27 different countries, the show represents the enduring power of the visual image to captivate, provoke, disturb, and inspire.

About the photo:
"Daily Life" by Anthony Suau, USA for Time Magazine (2nd Prize)
Detective Robert Kole of the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office enters a home in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 26, following mortgage foreclosure and eviction. He needs to check that the owners have vacated the premises, and that no weapons have been left lying around. Officers go in at gunpoint as a precaution, as many houses have been vandalized or occupied by squatters or drug addicts.

The winning photograph by Anthony Suau is a perfect example of the complexity that a professional can infuse into a single image. The current world financial crisis is epic in scale, with serious implications for all of us. At first, we think we know what we see in this classic black-and-white picture: a uniformed officer with a raised gun stands in the center of a chaotic room inside someone’s home. This scenario is familiar, as it has related before to war, to crime, or to drug trafficking. This time, however, the unseen victims are guilty of nothing more than being unable to pay their bills. The mystery of the picture is revealed in its caption. The jury agreed that great journalistic photography should encourage viewers to think, and should raise many questions as it provides answers – as this photograph does. The image is an ominous one. A new kind of war, a war of economics, has arrived to invade our lives and our homes.
Chairman of the 2009 jury--Mary Anne Golon

J195, writing about art

2009-07-13T22:02:00.003+08:00

To my J195 students on Cultural Reporting,
To prepare for our fieldtrip this Friday, I would like you to watch the following videos that explain some elements of design in paintings (links corrected):

Also, please note some of these tips in developing your story about art:

the artist’s decisions and choices..in terms of subject matter, medium, color, perspective, etc.
why was the painting given such a title..look at the context, artist's motivation and message
how would you describe the artwork...study your own word choices, how could you best describe it
subjective tastes and preferences...ask yourself why you like or dislike the artwork, ask others what they think

PDI donates e-newsrooms to UP-CMC

2009-06-30T08:45:00.001+08:00

PDI don ates e-newsrooms to UP - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos
MANILA, Philippines—Two classrooms of the University of the Philippines’ College of Mass Communication (CMC) in Diliman, Quezon City, have undergone a P2-million, multimedia makeover courtesy of the Philippine Daily Inquirer...read more..

Shared via AddThis

UP-CMC Statement on the Anti-wiretapping vs. Cheche Lazaro

2009-05-08T18:55:00.003+08:00

The suit against Cecilia “Cheche” Lazaro alleging that she wire-tapped her own phone conversation with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Vice President for Public Relations and Communications Ella E. Valencerina is both outrageous and unfair.

GSIS officials ought to realize that in their attempt to discredit broadcast journalist Cheche Lazaro, they are only succeeding in discrediting themselves and their agency. As employees of a state university and consequently, stakeholders in GSIS, we affirm that Ms. Lazaro and the Probe Team were serving our interest by investigating the pension fund’s alleged premium-based policy.

Government workers, especially public school teachers, have been criticizing the GSIS’s premium-based policy, which they blame for the problems with pension, loan and retirement benefits.

We also wish to point out that as the GSIS official in-charge of public relations, it is actually Ms. Valencerina who is reneging on her duty to clarify issues with the press and the public. The question the public and the courts should be asking is not the issue of wiretapping, rather it should ask if Ms. Valencerina had a right to refuse a legitimate press interview in the first place.

This lawsuit against Ms. Lazaro only serves as another proof that GSIS has little desire to be transparent about its policies that affect the ordinary stakeholders. Moreover, it directly violates the public’s right to information and is seemingly another attempt by the present government to silence media through harassment and intimidation.

We wish to express our support for Ms. Lazaro and the Probe Team for their tenacious dedication to the truth and their 22 years of responsible and ethical reporting. (photo from Patricia Evangelista) #

Update on media killings

2009-05-07T16:05:00.000+08:00

CMFR/PHILIPPINES—Two local courts recently decided two separate cases of work-related killing of broadcasters in Region XI (Davao Region). Eight out of the 78 work-related killing of journalists/media practitioners since 1986 happened in Region XI.

On 22 April 2009, Judge George Omelio of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 14 in Davao City acquitted a block-timer of the charge of murdering his fellow block-time radio broadcaster Fernando “Batman” Lintuan for lack of additional evidence to support the testimony of the prosecution’s lone witness. Davao City is approximately 978 kms from Manila.

Meanwhile, Judge Albert Axalan of Branch 20 of the Digos City RTC convicted on 24 March 2009 Joy “Tungol” Anticamara, who gunned down block-time radio broadcaster Armando “Rachman” Pace, for homicide instead of murder. Digos City, the capital of Davao del Sur province, is about 995 kms Southeast of Manila. Although it was promulgated 29 April 2009, the decision was signed 24 March 2009.

Since 2001, there have only been three convictions out of the 78 cases of journalists killed— the killers of Marlene Esperat, Edgar Damalerio, and now, Pace. Forty journalists or 51.28 percent of the 78 were killed after Gloria Macapagal Arroyo assumed the presidency in 2001.

Acting on the accused’s demurrer to evidence, the Davao RTC Branch 14 acquitted Leonilo Larosa in the Lintuan case (Criminal Case no. 63,537-2008) after the prosecution failed to present new evidence against him. A demurrer is an application to dismiss the case, which the court or tribunal may grant or deny. The party demurring admits the facts of the preceding pleading to be true, but questions the sufficiency of facts for the case to proceed.

Larosa through his counsel filed a demurrer to evidence last 12 March 2008.

In his decision, Judge Omelio said the testimony of the 19-year-old witness in the Lintuan case was “irreconcilable, contradictory, and incompatible with his statements on other occasions.” The inconsistencies “therefore made him ridiculous and unbelievable,” Omelio added.

Lintuan was shot dead on 24 December 2007 by a gunman riding tandem with an accomplice on a motorcycle. Lintuan was in his car with two colleagues and had just left the dxGO radio station premises.

Lintuan was critical of the local government and was known to be a hard-hitting commentator in Davao. He also criticized the involvement of Larosa in and his promotion of “Last Two”, an illegal numbers game where the winning combination is taken from the last two numbers of the winning combination of the Sweepstakes.

Lintuan had been a radio broadcaster since the 1980s and was also a columnist for Sun.Star Super Balita, a local newspaper in Davao. He was the first president of the Davao Sportswriters Association and was also a member of the Philippine Sports Commission.

In the other media murder case (Criminal Case no. 281-2006), the court sentenced gunman Anticamara to a maximum of 17 years in prison and to pay damages amounting to P151,500.00 for the killing of Pace.

Judge Axalan of the Digos City RTC in his decision said he was convinced that Anticamara killed Pace after the 16-year-old witness positively identified him as the gunman. But the court reduced the offense to homicide because “the evidence on record does not show that the motorcycle was purposely used to facilitate the commission of the crime” but “was used only in facilitating the escape.”

Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists (FFFJ) legal adviser Prima Jesusa Quinsayas explained that “the act of escaping from the crime scene on a motorcycle is different from using a motorcycle to facilitate the crime.” The FFFJ is a coalition organized to address the killing of journalists. Its members are the Kapisanan ng Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (Association of Broadcasters of the Philippines), the Philippine Press Institute, the Center for Community Journalism and Development, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, the US-based newspaper Philippine News, and the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, which serves as its secretariat.

“Say a tricycle driver killed someone with a gun. After shooting him, he gets on his tricycle and escapes. That is simply using his tricycle to escape the scene of the crime. If the tricycle driver used his tricycle to get near someone on the pretext of getting the latter as a passenger so as not to arouse suspicion, then shoots him and leaves on the motorcycle, the motorcycle was used to facilitate a crime,” Quinsayas said.

Court records show that the witness saw Anticamara, who has been her neighbor for around 12 years, with a gun after she heard three gunshots and saw Pace dead on the cemented street. Anticamara had always maintained he was innocent.

Despite the decision, Quinsayas said a murder complaint can still be filed against the masterminds should the police or any other law enforcement agency identify them and gather sufficient evidence to establish probable cause, which is necessary for the filing of an information against the masterminds in the Pace case.

“…(J)ustice is never fully served if the mastermind is not identified, arrested, tried and convicted,” Quinsayas said. No mastermind has been convicted since 2001.

Pace was killed on 18 July 2006 minutes after he signed off from his dxDS-Radyo Ukay program Ukadyang, slang in Davao for “ukaya” which means “stir it up”. Pace was shot thrice with a .45-caliber gun by two men riding on a black motorcycle along Rizal Avenue, Digos City. He died on the way to the hospital.

Three months before he was killed, Pace had received death threats through his mobile phone but chose to ignore them and to continue with his work.

Pace was known for his fiery commentaries and for mocking his subjects on the air. He also commented on his subjects’ personal problems, which his colleagues said led to the filing of about a hundred libel suits against him. His reporting style earned him the moniker “Rachman”, a term derived from the word “rak-rak” which means “firing indiscriminately at people”. #

Angels and Demons

2009-05-04T09:41:00.001+08:00

I thought this was a well-written and actually funny review of "Angels & Demons", another stupid movie based on Dan Brown's fictional history posing as fact-based. Check out John Wright's blog.

Congrats Batch '09

2009-04-26T23:25:00.000+08:00

Congratulations to UP-CMC Journalism batch 2009!! I wish you all the best in your future careers and hope you continue to make your professors proud of you!!

Ted Failon Case, Media Coverage

2009-04-23T23:28:00.002+08:00

According to Geographical Media, an online site that measures the top news stories, ABS-CBN newscaster Ted Failon is the 116th "most talked about person in the world"..a little higher than Susan Boyle of the BBC talent show fame, who ranked 124th.

With Filipinos all over the world, the popularity of this news item should not really be a surprise. But, one wonders if our own media had not played out the story of his wife's tragic death to the extreme. Some local media ethicists opine that the story of Failon should have been treated just like any other criminal case and that media should have shown restraint in its coverage.

While, I would agree that the coverage of the Failon case has been a bit "overdone." I do not think that the ethical dilemma lies in this fact. Its reality TV, without having to spend for it. If Trina happened to be the wife of a Juan de la Cruz, the story may not even hit the news or if it did, it would have been at the bottom of the Metro page for just a day and that's it.

Unfortunately for Failon, his celebrity status validates the "special interest" that media has for the case and it would actually be more of a "special treatment" if media did give him the privacy he so craves, after depriving so many "ordinary" people of the same.

The ethical dillema lies in the fact of the coverage itself. It is unbiased? Or is it tilted to Failon's favor. Is media, especially ABS-CBN, going out of their way to prove his innocence? ...to make him look like a victim rather than a suspect? ..to make the police look like the bad guy?

The Failon coverage should not turn into a tug-o-war, where you get the "he is innocent" angle from his own network and the "he is guilty" angle from the rival stations. Like any other story, media should go out of its way to report the truth and nothing but the truth...no matter where it eventually tilts...is our media capable of this??? Does the audience actually expect ABS-CBN "not" to come to Failon's defense??

Perhaps, more than a test for media...the Failon case should be a test for audiences...can they be more discerning????

Published Theses

2009-04-07T23:01:00.002+08:00

Congratulations to my thesis advisees Claire Jiao and Elsie Cansino, both Journ majors, for the publication of their investigative-explanatory report on "What we did not learn from the CAP crash." The thesis was published in a two-part series by BusinessMirror. Click here to read part 1 and click here for part 2.

Congratulations also to JM Ragaza and John Alliage Morales, also Journ seniors, for their published thesis entitled, "Botika ng Barangay"not in the poorest places despite GMA's claim." Their thesis adviser, Yvonne Chua said that they were published in various newspapers through VERA files. Click here for part 1 and part 2 in Manila Times.

chosen children

2009-04-06T11:09:00.008+08:00

Cavite, Philippines—Apart from the donation raised for our alma mater, St. Scho-Manila, our high school batch raised some funds for outreach projects. One of these projects was a donation for Chosen Children, an orphanage for special kids in the heart of Silang.

Last Sunday, upon the invitation of Rea, our HS batch president, I joined my batchmates for a visit to the orphanage for the turnover of the donation. Rea picked me up then we met the others at Shell, along SS Highway. We were five vehicles altogether: 1. us: Rea, me, with Edel, Sunita and Rea’s two daughters; 2. the movers and shakers of the batch: Bev (and family), Iela, Judith, Josine and Corinne; 3. Hanee and her 4 boys (i.e. husband & 3 sons); 4. Arlene, daughter Louise and Marylou; 5. Vic, hubby and children. Of course, we had a mini-reunion at the gas station that the guards were looking at us because of the commotion

We were met at the orphanage by Mr. Colombo, who is Bev’s boss and a board member of the institution. Rebecca, one of the social workers, showed us around the place and we could not help but be impressed at the cleanliness and the well-maintained grounds of the village. Our first stop was one of the cottages were they had classrooms that catered to the educational needs of the orphans and even of the kids in the depressed areas around the place. Then, we also got to see the rehabilitation facilities for the disabled kids. But, I think what was very moving was seeing the cottage of the babies, especially Niño, a boy who had no arms and no legs because he managed to survive his own mother's attempt to abort him (see inset, Niño with Bev and Arlene).

While all the babies here had been left abandoned, not all of them were disabled—physically and/or mentally. There was this really cute 1-year old in a walker who was following us around and Iela, very adeptly carried a 5-month old baby boy (I would never dare carry anyone below 10 months).

After the cottage visits, we were brought to the gym, which had been temporarily converted into a theatre. The older children impressed us with their Filipino dances, from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

One particular autistic boy, Michael, caught our attention because he performed so well and so intensely…in colloquial Filipino, “feel-na-feel nya ang part niya.” And of course, with their version of the Sinulog, complete with a live Sto. Niño, played by one of the 2-yr. old boys. Afterwards, we could not resist having our photo taken with the performers (see photo above).

After the performance, the kids had a feast of a McDonald’s meal courtesy of Josine, who managed to get a donation of food gift certificates from the fast food chain.

After the visit, we went over to Iela’s farm, where she prepared a late lunch for us, which was much better than anything you could get from the famous eating places in Silang or Tagaytay (that says a lot, ‘cuz Gourmet is just a kilometer away from her place). Thanks batchmates for a wonderful time!!!!! #

grade sheet

2009-03-12T13:27:00.002+08:00

Dear 2nd sem students,
I have posted my grade sheets here. Pls. check recorded grades against the papers returned to you. If there are discrepancies, pls. show me your graded paper so that corrections can be made. Pls. note that, as per university rule on attendance...if you have more than six (6) absences, your final grade is 5.0 regardless of your actual class standing.

Anti-Christian: a "Socially Acceptable Prejudice"

2009-03-10T13:32:00.001+08:00

VIENNA, Austria, MARCH 9, 2009 (Zenit.org).- One does not have to live in Africa or Asia to be the victim of anti-Christian discrimination; according to an intergovernmental security group, there are plenty of victims in Europe and America.This was the conclusion from a meeting sponsored by the U.N. ad hoc Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, an international group that has 56 member states spread across Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and North America.

The meeting last Wednesday brought together experts and representatives of states in the intergovernmental organization, reported a press release from the group at the event's conclusion.

Janez Lenarcic, former Slovenian ambassador to the OSCE and now the director of the office for democratic institutions and human rights, which organized the event, reported, "What came out clearly from this meeting is that intolerance and discrimination against Christians is manifested in various forms across the OSCE area."

He continued, "While denial of rights may be an important issue where Christians form a minority, exclusion and marginalization may also be experienced by Christians where they comprise a majority in society."

Mario Mauro, vice president of the European Parliament and representative of the Chairmanship on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination, stated in a press release following the event, "I believe that this meeting has succeeded in raising visibility and highlighting the relevance of the phenomenon of intolerance and discrimination against Christians."

Restricted

The meeting centered on various aspects of intolerance and discrimination against and among Christians, including "violent attacks against persons, property and places of worship, as well as restrictions to the right to freedom of religion or belief," the press release reported.

It also addressed the "inaccurate portrayals of Christian identity and values in the media and political discourse, leading to misunderstandings and prejudice."

The meeting called for interreligious dialogue, recognizing that the challenges faced by Christians are shared by members of other faiths. It also requested "improved collection of data on hate crimes against Christians, the adoption of freedom of religion laws in line with international commitments and assistance to states and civil society in raising awareness of relevant standards."

One expert participant, Gudrun Kugler, noted, "The reasons given for intolerance and discrimination against Christians in Europe were, amongst others, radical secularization, extreme forms of political correctness as well as aspects of anti-discrimination laws."

Kugler, assistant to the general secretary of the Christian nongovernmental organization network "Europe for Christ!," asserted, "The prejudice against Christians seems to be the last socially acceptable prejudice in Europe."

The network, which sponsors the "Christianophobia" Web site, released a statement approving the "quality and depth" of the OSCE meeting. Kugler added: "On our Web site [...] we publish cases in which prejudices have spilled over into acts of intolerance. That the OSCE looks at the phenomenon is a first step towards tolerance for all people, also practicing Christians."

She concluded: "It is important to encourage the media to spread a message of understanding and respect towards Christians instead of prejudices. Further, Christians must not suffer exclusion from public life and the right of conscientious objection should be ensured for Christians in all countries."#

12-yr-old speaks out against abortion

2009-02-19T15:21:00.006+08:00

Impressive 12-year old delivers speech on the abortion issue:

Designing Diliman

2009-01-10T02:57:00.000+08:00

Great Documentary from the UP Diliman Campus Architects:

2009 Brings Hope to Pinoys --survey

2008-12-29T15:48:00.002+08:00

Nine out of ten (92%) of adult Filipinos are entering the New Year with hope rather than fear, according to the Fourth Quarter Social Weather Survey done from November 28 to December 1, 2008.
The 92% hopeful about the coming 2009 is similar to the 91% posted in 2006 and in 2007. During 2000 to 2004, New Year hope has ranged from 81% to 95%.

In Germany, where the survey question originated, those expressing hope ranged from 31% to 58% in 1991 to 2002. German hope in the coming year has not exceeded 58% since 1991.

New Year Hope Widespread Across All Areas
Hopes for the New Year are high in all areas – 94% in Visayas, 92% in both Balance Luzon and Mindanao, and 89% in Metro Manila.
In Mindanao, hopefulness for the New Year slightly increased to 92% in 2008 from 87% in 2007.
Hopefulness for the New Year in Metro Manila slightly declined to 89% from the record-high 95% in 2007.
New Year hope in Balance Luzon barely changed to 92% from 91%, and stayed at 94% in Visayas.

New Year Hope Shared By All Classes
New Year hopes are high across socio-economic classes - 92% among the middle to upper classes ABC, 92% among the masa D class, and 90% among the very poor class E.
Hopefulness for the New Year slightly increased among classes ABC, from 88% in 2007 to 92% in 2008.
Compared to 2007, it did not change among class D at 92%, and class E, from 91% to 90%.

Hope prevails even among the few with a sad Christmas
Among the 63% who expect a happy 2008 Christmas, 95% are entering the coming year with hope. However, even among the 8% who expect a sad Christmas, as many as 76% look forward to 2009 with hope.

Survey Background
The survey question on hope versus fear about the New Year was patterned after the polls conducted annually by the Allensbach Institute of Demoskopy (http://www.ifd-allensbach.de), a pioneering opinion research center in Germany. The Fourth Quarter of 2008 Social Weather Survey was conducted over November 28 – December 1, 2008 using face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults in Metro Manila, the Balance of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao (sampling error margins of ±2.5% for national percentages, ±6% for Metro Manila, Visayas and Mindanao, and ±4% for Balance Luzon). The area estimates were weighted by National Statistics Office medium-population projections for 2008 to obtain the national estimates.

The items described in this release were not commissioned, but were included on SWS's own initiative. Subscribers, who have no proprietary rights over the data, support the quarterly Social Weather Surveys.

Online journalists now jailed more than those in any other medium

2008-12-05T02:49:00.002+08:00

CPJ, New York—Reflecting the rising influence of online reporting and commentary, more Internet journalists are jailed worldwide today than journalists working in any other medium. In its annual census of imprisoned journalists, released today, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) found that 45 percent of all media workers jailed worldwide are bloggers, Web-based reporters, or online editors. Online journalists represent the largest professional category for the first time in CPJ’s prison census.

CPJ’s survey found 125 journalists in all behind bars on December 1, a decrease of two from the 2007 tally. (Read detailed accounts of each imprisoned journalist.) China continued to be world’s worst jailer of journalists, a dishonor it has held for 10 consecutive years. Cuba, Burma, Eritrea, and Uzbekistan round out the top five jailers from among the 29 nations that imprison journalists. Each of the top five nations has persistently placed among the world’s worst in detaining journalists.

At least 56 online journalists are jailed worldwide, according to CPJ’s census, a tally that surpasses the number of print journalists for the first time. The number of imprisoned online journalists has steadily increased since CPJ recorded the first jailed Internet writer in its 1997 census. Print reporters, editors, and photographers make up the next largest professional category, with 53 cases in 2008. Television and radio journalists and documentary filmmakers constitute the rest. At least 56 online journalists are jailed worldwide, according to CPJ’s census, a tally that surpasses the number of print journalists for the first time. The number of imprisoned online journalists has steadily increased since CPJ recorded the first jailed Internet writer in its 1997 census. Print reporters, editors, and photographers make up the next largest professional category, with 53 cases in 2008. Television and radio journalists and documentary filmmakers constitute the rest.#

1st sem grades and student URLs

2008-10-28T06:48:00.005+08:00

The 1st semester is finally over...even for professors!! So now, I'm posting my grade sheets here. Students are requested to check the breakdown to see if the grades have been recorded correctly (i.e. it should agree with the grades on the papers returned to them).

I also thought I'd post the links to the final projects for my Online Journalism class. The students did a pretty good job despite the limited resources of the state university. Click on the photo to go to the site.

This site features the lives of around 300 families living in the charcoal-making business at Barangay 105, Tondo, Manila.

This site tracks the rise of the railway transit systems.

This site explores the local book industry and the challenges that it faces. And last but not the least.....

This site discusses the government's Public Attorney's Office and its limitations....

Why the RH Bill is not pro-poor as it claims to be and why it is not compatible with being Catholic

2008-10-27T02:41:00.000+08:00

Here is a response to the "14 Atenean Professors" who are usurping the name of the school from the Pro-Life advocates:

To be an Atenean, a student must abide by the rules and regulations of the school, otherwise, Ateneo may expel any student found guilty of violating these, especially the major ones. It is unfortunate that 14 professors of the Ateneo do not apply the same principle to the
Catholic Church.

They arbitrarily proclaim that one can still be a Catholic even if one does not obey her moral teachings. This is sad because too many think that being Catholic is merely an identity one assumes when baptized into the Catholic Church, without adhering to her teachings.

Facts Not Considered by the Atenean Professors:

1) Correlation of Contraception to Abortion
Moreover, these professors also fail to see how abortion is the inevitable consequence of a culture that is permeated with contraceptive use. This is happening in many countries today. The widespread distribution of oral contraceptives beginning in the 1960s facilitated the onset of the so-called "sexual revolution". A few years later, abortion on demand became legal. The fact is when people who do not want to have a baby have sex, the ultimate alternative if an unwanted pregnancy occurs is abortion. And this will surely happen because no contraceptive claims 100% efficacy.

2) Reproductive Health 5043 Cannot Be Pro-life, Pro-women and Pro-poor
The bill cannot be pro-life because of many sections in the bill that promote harm than health, promote injustice rather than a greater good, and do not respect the solemn union of spouses in marriage.

Most contraceptives carry scientific proof of serious medical side-effects. The Pill for example, can cause hypertension, brain diseases, etc. IUDs can cause perforation of the uterus.

Some contraceptives are abortifacients. That means they prevent implantation of a fertilized egg.

Neither is the bill pro-women because it makes them available for sex anytime the man wants it. Too often, especially in depressed areas, the woman is forced to have sex by abusive husbands, who are often alcoholics and/or drug-abusers. In the long run, it is again the women who suffer from the physical consequences of contraceptives and the emotional depression coming from sexual abuse.

Additionally, how can it be pro-poor when the P2B initial funding will be allocated to contraceptives, instead of food on their tables, or jobs for their livelihood, or education for their children?

3) RH 5043 does not deserve to be elevated to a National Policy
In spite of the absence of a Reproductive Bill, the Local Government Units are passing Ordinances on Reproductive Health; the DOH has without restraint implemented 'Ligtas Buntis Program' and spearheaded a massive distribution of free condoms and contraceptives, gave monetary incentives to people who would undergo vasectomy and ligation in health centers all over the country; the DepEd since the early 90's has incorporated a Sex Education program for public schools; and some NGOs like Gabriela, have conducted free ligation and vasectomy in
depressed areas.

SWS Survey – A "Convenient Truth"
The proponents of the bill conveniently use SWS to justify their agenda. SWS may not be a reliable source of information regarding the survey they conducted on the reproductive health bill. The question asked in the survey about the RH Bill is not neutral. You can check
it out for yourselves at http://www.sws.org.ph/pr081016.htm and it goes like this:

Ang "Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2007" ay isang panukalang batas sa mababang kapulungan ng kongreso na magbibigay ng katungkulan sa gobyerno na magtaguyod ng programa ukol sa responsableng pagpapamilya o responsible parenthood sa pamamagitan ng sapat na impormasyon sa publiko at pagakakaroon ng mga ligtas, legal, mura at de-kalidad na serbisyong na pang-reproductive health sa mga taong may gusto nito. Kayo po ba ay PABOR o HINDI PABOR sa panukalang batas na ito?

It is obvious that this kind of question was designed to put the Bill in a favorable light by using words like "responsible parenthood", "safe, cheap and high quality", and "to people who want it" (implying freedom of choice). However, it did not mention that doctors, health workers and employers will be compelled under penalty of fines and/or imprisonment, to distribute or promote contraceptives, without respect for their religious beliefs and convictions. Neither did it say that children from grade 5 to 4th year HS will be taught the "use and application" of contraceptives and condoms, without considering what their parents may feel about these things.

No wonder then that the survey always shows favorable results. The question, and the survey in which it was used, is highly DECEPTIVE. In another survey, "SWS Survey for the Forum for Family Planning and Development" (http://www.sws.org.ph/pr081016b.htm), opinions were
asked regarding the following statement:
The usage of legal contraceptives like condoms, IUDs, and pills can also be considered as abortion.

The above statement deliberately contains a factual error. Many know that condoms do not abort. Yet it is lumped together with IUDs and pills which are abortifacients. Any person who does not know this but knows condoms do not abort will most likely disagree with the statement. Under these circumstances, the credibility of SWS is therefore questionable since the questions put forth seem designed to favor support for the RH Bill.

More importantly, surveys can never be the basis for moral decisions. Morality can never be voted upon; it is never arbitrary, especially if it does not lead to life or to the source of all life. Today's culture of relativism tells us that moral right depends on numbers. This is a lie!

As with regards to the statistics they gave, what is needed, among other things, are the proper education of couples with regards to the value of marriage, spousal relationship, responsible parenthood and the use of natural family planning methods (like the Billings Ovulation Method) that do not have any harmful side-effects, have a higher success rate than artificial means, and foster deeper communication, care and respect between couples. The Legislators must also enact laws that will promote the availability of affordable and improved pre-natal, delivery and post-natal services for indigent families; and focus on addressing the causes of mortality rates, primarily, insufficient nutrition, safe water and a cleaner environment.

It is dangerous when people from credible institutions like the Ateneo and SWS are misleading the public against the Catholic Church. It is important during these times to be founded on absolute truths to guide our moral values. #

Pope's Address to Philippine Ambassador

2008-10-26T22:00:00.001+08:00

VATICAN CITY (Zenit.org).-Here is the address Benedict XVI delivered today upon receiving the letters of credence from Cristina Castañer-Ponce Enrile, the new ambassador of the Philippines to the Holy See.

"Distinction Between Religion and Politics Is a Specific Achievement of Christianity"

* * *

Madam Ambassador,

I am pleased to receive you today as you present the Letters of Credence accrediting you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Philippines to the Holy See. I reciprocate the warm greetings which you have graciously extended to me on behalf of Her Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and I would ask you to convey my own best wishes for her well-being and that of all your fellow citizens.

The Filipino people are renowned for their warm generosity and the high value they place on friendship and family life. The Catholic faithful in your country-through their hunger for prayer, their lively devotion, and their eagerness to serve others-demonstrate a firm trust in God's loving providence. I am grateful for the unique contribution they have made and continue to make to the life of the local and universal Church, and I encourage all men and women of goodwill in your nation to devote themselves to forging bonds of peace and social harmony within your borders and across the globe.

For its part, and in a special way through its diplomatic activity, the Holy See seeks to engage the world in dialogue so as to promote the universal values that flow from human dignity and advance mankind on the road to communion with God and one another. The Catholic Church is eager to share the richness of the Gospel's social message, for it enlivens hearts with a hope for the fulfilment of justice and a love that makes all men and women truly brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. She carries out this mission fully aware of the respective autonomy and competence of Church and State. Indeed, we may say that the distinction between religion and politics is a specific achievement of Christianity and one of its fundamental historical and cultural contributions. The Church is equally convinced that State and religion are called to support each other as they together serve the personal and social well-being of all (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 76). This harmonious cooperation between Church
and State requires ecclesial and civic leaders to carry out their public duties with undaunted concern for the common good. By cultivating a spirit of honesty and impartiality, and by keeping justice their aim, civil and ecclesial leaders earn the trust of the people and enhance a sense of the shared responsibility of all citizens to promote a civilization of love. All should be motivated by the desire to serve rather than to gain personally or to benefit a privileged few. Everyone shares in the task of strengthening public institutions so as to safeguard them from the corruption of factionalism and elitism. In this regard, it is encouraging to see the many initiatives undertaken at various levels of Filipino society to protect the weak, especially the unborn, the sick and the elderly.

Your Excellency, I appreciate the concern you have expressed on behalf of your Government for the well-being of Filipino migrant workers. Indeed, the Meeting of the Global Forum on Migration and Development hosted in Manila clearly attests to the Philippines' solicitude for all who leave their homeland in search of employment in a foreign land. Initiatives such as the Global Forum are fruitful when they recognize immigration as a resource for development rather than as an obstacle to it. At the same time, government leaders face numerous challenges as they strive to ensure that immigrants are integrated into society in a way that acknowledges their human dignity and affords them the opportunity to earn a decent living, with adequate time for rest and a due provision for worship. The just care of immigrants and the building up of a solidarity of labour (cf. Laborem Exercens, 8) requires governments, humanitarian agencies, peoples of faith and all citizens to cooperate with prudence
and patient determination. Domestic and international policies aimed at regulating immigration must be based on criteria of equity and balance, and particular care is needed to facilitate the reunification of families. At the same time, conditions that foster increased work opportunities in peoples' places of origin are to be promoted as far as possible (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 66).

In this regard, Madam Ambassador, the leaders of your nation have passed legislation for comprehensive land reform with the aim of improving the living conditions of the poor. Carefully planned agrarian reforms can benefit a society by instilling a sense of common responsibility and stimulating individual initiative, making it possible for a nation both to feed its own and expand its participation in international markets so as to enhance opportunities for growth in the process of globalization. I pray that by implementing measures that foster the just distribution of wealth and the sustainable development of natural resources, Filipino farmers will be granted greater opportunities for increasing production and earning what they need to support themselves and their families.

Your Excellency, it is encouraging to see that your nation will continue to participate actively in international forums for the advancement of peace, human solidarity and interreligious dialogue. You have indicated how these noble goals are intimately related to human development and social reform. In light of the Gospel, the Catholic Church has always been convinced that the transition from less humane to more humane conditions is not limited to merely economic or technological dimensions, but implies for each person the acquisition of culture, respect for the life and dignity of others, and acknowledgment of "the highest good, the recognition of God Himself, the author and end of these blessings" (Populorum Progressio, 21). I am confident that the Republic of the Philippines will continue to offer this holistic vision of the human person in world forums, and I join all Filipinos in praying that the peace of God may reign in the hearts and homes of all people.

Madam Ambassador, your presence here today is a pledge that the bonds of friendship and cooperation between your nation and the Holy See will continue to grow stronger in the years ahead. I assure you that the various agencies and dicasteries of the Roman Curia will always be ready to assist you in fulfilling your duties. Offering you my best wishes and prayers for the success of your mission, I invoke the blessings of Almighty God upon Your Excellency, your family and the beloved people of the Philippines.

© Copyright 2008 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

How accurate are university rankings by international bodies?

2008-10-20T02:22:00.000+08:00

An email to faculty by Chancellor Cao:
In the 2008 university rankings recently released by the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) and Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the University of the Philippines rose from 398 in 2007 to 276 this year. Ateneo de Manila University rose from 401-500 to 254. De La Salle University was ranked 415th and the University of Santo Tomas was ranked 470th.

This is the third year that such a survey has been conducted and its results given prominence
by local dailies. But according to UP Vice President for Public Affairs Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, UP has never agreed to participate in this survey. In fact, this year, President Emerlinda R. Roman did not even receive an invitation to be a part of it. Nor did she receive any questionnaire to answer.

What she did receive was an email message from QS Asia Regional Director (Asia Pacific), Mandy Mok, informing her that UP had “gone up in the rankings” for 2008. The email also contained an invitation to buy “an attractive package” from THES-QS. The “package price,” which includes a banner on topuniversities.com, a full page full color ad in Top Universities Guide 2009, and a booth at Top Universities Fair 2009, amounts to $48,930.

Since UP was not invited to participate and therefore had not provided any data, UP officials
do not know where and how the figures were obtained on which the ranking was based, Hidalgo
said. “UP can hardly be expected to spend more than 2 million pesos on publicity for itself involving a survey conducted by an organization that refuses to divulge where it obtains its data,” she added.

In 2007, UP was invited to participate in the survey, but when THES-QS refused to explain where it obtained the data used to determine UP’s rank in the 2006 survey, university officials decided not to accept the invitation to be part of the 2007 survey. In 2006, UP was ranked No. 299, and Ateneo was ranked No. 500.

UP wrote THES-QS in July 2007, informing them of UP’s decision not to be a part of the survey; and again in September 2007, requesting the organization to respect UP’s decision. In response, research assistant Saad Shabir wrote back saying that if it did not receive the information it would be “forced to use last year’s data or some form of average.”

Surveys and rankings obviously have their usefulness. But, as the National University—status officially granted to it with its new Charter on its centennial year—UP feels that before it agrees to participate in such an exercise, it must carefully examine the indices by which it is to be evaluated. It also needs to be convinced about the reliability of the methodology used in the exercised.

The THES-QS ranking is supposedly meant to serve as “the definitive guide to universities around the world which truly excel.” In evaluating institutions it computes half of the index based on its reputation as perceived by academics (peer review 40%) and global employers (recruiter review 10%). Since it does not specify who are surveyed or what questions are asked, the methodology is problematic. In an earlier statement released in August this year, and carried by several national dailies, UP said: “Even peers require standardized input data to review. But according to the International Ranking Systems for Universities and Institutions: A Critical Appraisal, published by BioMed Central, the Times simply asks 190,000 ‘experts’ to list what they regard as the top 30 universities in their field of expertise without providing input data on any performance indicators (http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/5/30).

Moreover, the survey response rate among selected experts was found to be below 1%. In other words, on the basis of possible selection biases alone, the validity of the measurement is shaky.” #

...of blogging arrears and MOA signings

2008-09-24T01:07:00.004+08:00

For undedicated bloggers like me...blogs are the first ones out the door when days go too fast...many good (and bad) things have happened in the past months that the blogging hiatus became longer than I had planned.

In any case, there are events in UP-CMC that I feel obligated to write about as chair of the Journalism Department, i.e. the memorandum of agreement signing between UP and the Philippine Star (PS) and the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI).

Both leading papers have chosen to invest in the education of future journalists/media practitioners via a sizeable donation to the college on the occasion of UP's centenary celebration.

Last September 22, PS editor-in-chief and CMC alumnus Isaac Belmonte returned to his alma mater for the MOA signing for a P1M donation for the refurbishing of rmM201, which will be named the "Philstar Seminar room." Envisioned to be a multi-media lecture hall, it will serve as a classroom, primarily for Journalism and Communication Research majors as well as a seminar room for the Graduate school and CMC Extension Office.

On the other hand, PDI President Sandy Prieto came last Tuesday, Sept. 23, to sign a MOA for a P2M donation for the refurbishing of M209 and M211, the future multi-media PDI Newsroom and Inquirer.net classroom.

In both events, both Isaac and Sandy noted that many of the editors and reporters of their papers hailed from UP-CMC. And, as noted by UP President Emer Roman, who signed the MOA as head of the UP Foundation, UP is worth investing in even as the country's leaders in various fields, including mass communication, continue to come from our university.

I find it both ridiculous and sad that some students think that renaming the rooms in favor of these donors would be akin to the commercialization of the university. Rather, they should see it as a testimony of faith in the university and in the college by these private entities. They have absolutely no obligation to give to UP and yet, they see the value of investing in the education ng mga "skolar ng bayan." I hope the students will make it worth their while by proving themselves to be the best that they can be.

(photos: top: PDI's Sandy Prieto and UP's Emer Roman at the MOA signing on the 2nd floor lobby of CMC's main bldg.; PStar MOA signing with Isaac Belmonte, Roman, Dean Elena Pernia and the Journalism faculty--Khan, Encanto, Chua, Tangi and Simbulan; below: artist rendition of the future PDI Newsroom--tentative design.)

Kadayawan Festival 2008

2008-08-25T02:15:00.003+08:00

I make it a point to go to Davao at least once a year..to shop in Aldevinco and to have my fill of durian. But, this year was my first time to witness the famed Kadayawan Festival. Here are some photos of the event:

In the midst of the parade, I ran into Hernani de Leon, who used to be an editor for BusinessWorld when I was a reporter there. Now, he is a Davao-based freelance radio/print journalist. He told me that the 2007 parade was much more impressive than this year's event.

According to their official website: The Kadayawan Festival is an annual festival in the city of Davao in the Philippines. Its name derives from the friendly greeting "Madayaw", from the Dabawenyo word "dayaw", meaning good, valuable, superior or beautiful. The festival is a celebration of life, a thanksgiving for the gifts of nature, the wealth of culture, the bounties of harvest and serenity of living. #

Shadows Over Beijing Olympics

2008-08-24T22:25:00.001+08:00

Zenit.org- China's spectacular results in the Olympic medal tally are not matched, unfortunately, when it comes to its performance in respecting religious freedom and human rights.

The heavy-handed repression of Tibetan opposition some months before the games left no doubt about the firm resolve of Chinese authorities to stamp out any opposition. Neither did the crackdown on Christian activists days prior to the opening of the Olympic event.

Government authorities began with ordering Protestant Pastor Zhang Mingxuan to leave Beijing for the duration of the Olympics, according to the Aug. 1 edition of the South China Morning Post. The former businessman has spent the last 22 years journeying throughout China, engaged in non-authorized evangelization.

During the last decade or so he set up more than 10 house churches -- faith communities not registered with government agencies. Of these, only three remain in operation; the government has closed the rest.

An Aug. 7 report from the Union of Catholic Asian News affirms that this Protestant preacher wasn't the only target. A number of bishops and priests not affiliated with the government-sanctioned Catholic Church were forbidden to administer sacraments or do pastoral work starting in late July, according to the report.

Regarding the situation in Beijing, UCA News cited information from underground Church activists who said that from early August most underground priests who had been working in the capital have returned to their hometowns until the Olympics end.

Thus, while some had hoped the games would help open up China to the rest of the world, it seems the opposite has occurred, according to an overview of the situation published by the National Catholic Register in its Aug. 10-16 issue.

The Register cited estimates of 12 million Catholics and 70 million Protestants in China. Of this total, most belong to the underground Catholic Church or Protestant house churches.

During the past year more than 600 Protestants were arrested or detained, 38 of whom were given sentences of more than one year, according to the article. Among Catholics there are approximately 35 underground bishops in prison, under house arrest or in hiding, according to data quoted by the Register.

Tightening

Steve Mosher, president of the Population Research Institute, told the Register that hundreds of missionaries have been expelled from China. "There has been a tightening across the country," he said.

Within the Olympic Village competitors had places to worship and dozens of clerics available. This freedom did not go beyond the perimeter fence, commented an Aug. 10 article on religious rights in China, published by the Washington Post.

The article confirmed other reports of a crackdown by authorities, including arrests of religious leaders, denying visas to foreign missionaries and shutting down places of worship.

As well, several Beijing seminaries have been shut on the grounds that they were not registered with the government-approved bodies.

"An important reason for the crackdown is the Olympics. This year, Chinese leaders face more pressure from outside groups, house churches and even ordinary individual citizens," said Fan Yafeng, a law professor at the Institute of Law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and a leader of the 80-member Sina House Church, in comments to the Washington Post.

During the Olympics itself attempts by missionaries from the United States to fly into China in order to deliver Bibles failed, as Chinese customs officials confiscated the material, reported the Associated Press on Aug. 17.

Four missionaries from the Vision Beyond Borders group arrived at the airport in the city of Kunming with the intention of distributing the Bibles to people in the city. The group, based in Sheridan, Wyoming, distributes Bibles and Christian teaching materials around the world to ''strengthen the persecuted church,'' according to its Web site.

Olympic failure

On the broader question of China's respect for human rights, Freedom House recently published "China and the Olympics." The Washington, D.C.-based organization said that Beijing has intensified repression in several respects during preparations for the Olympics.

Freedom House commented that Chinese journalists face greater repression today than in 2001 when their country was awarded the Olympic Games. Not only do journalists still undergo Marxist indoctrination, but the Central Propaganda Department dictates content through daily directives.

The games also led to evicting more than 1 million people from their homes to make way for new facilities. As well, authorities detained hundreds of people coming to Beijing as "petitioners" seeking redress for abuses by local officials.

This was confirmed in an Aug. 2 article published by the Washington Post, which described how the Olympic Games became the occasion for action against "dissidents, gadflies and malcontents."

The article cited allegations from human rights experts, who said thousands were imprisoned in the pre-games crackdown.

International human rights groups also accused China of an increase in violations of basic rights. An Aug. 6 press release by Human Rights Watch said that the run-up to the Beijing Olympics "has been marred by a well-documented surge in violations of the rights of free expression and association, as well as media freedom."

Among the points raised by Human Rights Watch was the harassment and restriction of foreign media, in violation of pledges made by China when it was awarded the games. The press release also noted the removal from Beijing of migrant workers, beggars and other "undesirables" prior to the Olympics.

No protests

Authorities took careful measures to avoid any protests during the games, but as a concession they did announce the creation of special sites where officially sanctioned protests could be made.

On Aug. 19, however, the Los Angeles Times reported that Chinese authorities did not approve any of the 77 applications they received from people who wanted to hold protests at these sites.

The article cited information published by the state-run New China News Agency, which said that 74 of the applications were withdrawn because the problems "were properly addressed by relevant authorities or departments through consultations." The other three applications were not accepted.

While authorities might have stifled any local protests, they could not control the numerous reports by the international media on human rights violations. France 24, a French television channel, aired a documentary on illegal organ transplants in China.

According to the Aug. 7 press release published by France 24, hundreds of wealthy foreigners flock to China as a shortcut to the organ transplant that could save their lives.

The source of these organs, the French station alleged, is unwilling death-sentence prisoners. The press release said that each year China executes between 2,000 and 10,000 prisoners. According to Amnesty International, 90% of transplant operations in China come from executed prisoners.

France 24 said that authorities acknowledge the practice, but also maintain prisoners give their consent. Nevertheless, the French report referred to evidence from relatives of several executed convicts who denied consent had been given.

Meanwhile, half a world away, when Benedict XVI was on holiday in the north of Italy, he visited the birthplace of St. Joseph Freinademetz, an Italian missionary who spent most of his life in China. "It is important that this great country open itself to the Gospel," the Pope remarked.

"St. Joseph Freinademetz shows us that faith does not mean alienation for any culture, for any people, because all cultures are waiting for Christ and are not destroyed by the Lord: Indeed, [in him] they reach their maturity," the Pontiff commented. A maturity still lacking in China.--By Father John Flynn, LCROME. http://www.zenit.org/article-23452?l=english

J102 assignment

2008-08-19T23:44:00.000+08:00

I'm going back into hibernation, since I will be too busy attending to the participants and guests of the ACMC International Conference in Ateneo de Davao (see previous blog entry)
... J102 students, please find your homework here. Date due is Aug 28.

2008 Lasallian Scholarum Awards

2008-08-17T23:57:00.002+08:00

De La Salle University's annual Lasallian Scholarum Awards honored the country's outstanding print, photo, broadcast, and campus journalists for their impressive reportage on various youth and education issues last August 15 at The Conservatory, The Manila Peninsula, Makati City.

For responding to this year's theme, "BE THE LEAD," winners from the five categories (published feature story on youth and education, published photograph on youth and education, televised feature on youth and education, published feature story on youth and education in a school organ, and published feature story on DLSU-M) each received cash prizes and an Orlina glass sculpture trophy. (inset: Scholarum Winners and Judges, from left: Br. Bernie Oca FSC, Ana Wilk (representing Dylan Wilk), Virgilio Almario, Yoly Ong, Rebecca Marquez (representing Bullit Marquez), Sandra Aguinaldo, Ronald Lim, Blooey Singson, Justine Papina, Rachel Khan, Br. Armin Luistro FSC, and Ayi Magpayo.)

Manila Bullerin's Blooey Singson for her article, Ang Jeep ni Kuya and Ronald Lim for his article Sun's the limit, won outstanding published feature on youth and education, outstanding feature on DLSU honors, respectively.

GMA's Sandra Aguinaldo, meanwhile, bagged her first Scholarum Award for her TV documentary, Iskul Ko No. 1. While, Justine May Papina of De La Salle-Dasmariñas “Heraldo Filipino” won outstanding feature on youth and education plum for the article Dwindle, dwindle little child.

Associated Press' Bullit Marquez received the outstanding photograph on youth and education for A homeless girl; while Jonjon Vicencio's photo Water Acrobats received an honorable mention.

This year's board of judges is composed of Campaigns and Grey Chairperson Yoly Ong (Chairman of the board), National Artist for Literature Dr. Virgilio Almario, Chairperson of University of the Philippines' Journalism Department Rachel Khan, Gawad Kalinga's International Partnerships Director Dylan Wilk, and De La Salle University-Manila's Marketing Communication Office Executive Director Ayi Magpayo.

The Scholarum Awards, which is now on its fifth year, is the university's means to encourage journalists to provide the public with an intelligent discussion of timely youth and education topics in mass media.

Also, the Scholarum Awards aims to urge various sectors, including governments and private organizations, to be actively involved in addressing the critical issues confronting the youth, particularly their education. This endeavor is envisioned to motivate key sectors and individuals to contribute towards youth development through various initiatives in education.#

Press Freedom is an Olympic challenge in Beijing!

2008-08-08T23:35:00.003+08:00

Not all is grand in Beijing!!! Be counted among the 17,000 participants in the Reporters Without Borders “Cyber-Demonstration” outside virtual Olympic stadium lasting until 24 August, or the close of the Olympic Games. Just five days after its launch on 8 August, 17, around 600 people have protested the lack of free speech in

China

and called for the release of political prisoners at http://www.rsfbeijing2008.org.

Demonstrators can pick the slogan they wish to raise and see how many others have joined and what they are saying. Reporters Without Borders is also maintaining a blog about human rights in China until 24 August called “2008 Games Human Rights News." The blog can be read at http://olympicgames.rsfblog.org.

Among those in prison is cyberdissident Shi Tao, 37. He worked for the daily Dangdai Shang Bao (Contemporary Business News). He was convicted on 30 April of sending foreign-based websites the text of an internal message which the authorities had sent to his newspaper warning journalists of the dangers of social destabilisation and risks resulting from the return of certain dissidents on the 15th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.#

Radio broadcaster slain in Roxas City

2008-08-07T21:55:00.001+08:00

Am still in hibernation..but I thought I should post this sad bulletin:

CMFR/PHILIPPINES – A radio broadcaster was killed on 7 August 2008 by a gunman riding pillion on a motorcycle in Roxas City , Capiz. Capiz is approximately 411 kms southeast of Martin Roxas, program director of dyKR-Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) in Roxas, was shot in the nape. Roxas was himself on a motorcycle. He was pronounced dead an hour after he was brought to the Capiz Emmanuel Hospital . He was 32.

Jeony Bigay, RMN’s area manager for Western Visayas, said Roxas had just finished his noon time show, “Targetanay sa Ugto” (“Targeting at Noon”), and was on his way home when attacked.

Bigay said the attack happened at Bayot Drive in Roxas City approximately two kilometers away the station.He said Roxas had been harassed by three unidentified men in the same area while he was on his way home. The station reported the harassment to the local police.

During his August 7 program, Bigay said Roxas interviewed Capiz 1^st District Rep. Antonio “Tony” del Rosario about the anomaly surrounding the financial aid given to indigent hospital patients during del Rosario’s term as mayor of Roxas City Roxas found fictitious names in the list of recipients of city financial aid. Roxas had been discussing the alleged anomalous transaction in his program for two weeks. Bigay will be meeting with Roxas’s family to discuss their next move. “We will decide which government agency—the NBI (National Burerau of Investigation) or the police—we’ll ask for help,” he explained.

“We believe this is 100% work-related,” Bigay said. “We are deeply saddened. This is another assault (on press freedom)…We will continue what Roxas has started.” The news director of dyKR-RMN Roxas will take over Roxas’s program.

Roxas was the fourth journalist/media practitioner killed this year. Thirty-three journalists/media practitioners have been killed in the line of duty in the Philippines since 2001. A few days earlier, an RMN anchor, Dennis Cuesta, was attacked on 4 August 2008 in General Santos City South Cotabato. Cuesta is still in a coma. ##

In hibernation from the cybernation

2008-07-25T06:37:00.001+08:00

This blog is in temporary hibernation..obvious ba??? Have been too busy.....but as I promised my J192 students, here is the link to my J199 lectures of two semesters ago: J199 Lectures. Please do not fail to submit your thesis concept papers on or before August 1....cheers :)

UP Gawad Plaridel awarded to Sun.Star's Pachico Seares

2008-07-05T23:03:00.002+08:00

As can be gleaned from many entries in this blog, it is the community journalists who face the day-to-day dangers of coverage as they expose local corrupt practices and “warlordisms” in their home town. At the same time, the Manila-centric press can be found wanting in the support and acknowledgement that they deserve. (in photo: Dean Pernia looking on as Chancellor Cao hands Atty. Seares the Gawad Plaridel. Also in photo UP Vice President for Academic Affairs Amelia Guevarra.)

Thus, I think it is fitting that for UP’s centennial year, the Gawad Plaridel honors a dedicated journalist who has contributed to the professionalism and development of the countryside press.

Last July 4, the 5^th Gawad Plaridel was awarded to Atty. Pachico Seares, editor-in-chief of Sun.Star Cebu and Sun.Star Superbalita. Through his leadership, Sun.Star had expanded from a small community paper to a nationwide network of community newspapers, which has a combined circulation can rival top Manila papers. But, this achievement is largely due to his ability to bring the community paper up to par not only in terms of production but also in journalistic excellence.

This is best illustrated from his Plaridel Lecture. “We believe that even community papers, despite limitations, can help meet demands of a public increasingly dismayed by performance of media in general. We believe we can strive: [1] to seek clarity and avoid clutter in presenting facts and ideas in our stories and opinions; [2] to distinguish the important from the merely urgent; [3] don’t be puppets; [4] maintain objectivity; [5] to be informed and fair in our opinions; and, [6] to know that the closest the media can get to elusive truth is to get the facts right,” he said, outlining Sun.Star’s guide to its reporters. (Full text here)

But Seares influence is not restricted to Sun.Star. Under his leadership, the Cebuano press has beaten the Manila press in creating an effective Citizens’ Press Council, which serves as a venue for a healthy exchange of ideas among media practitioners and civil society. It can also act as a venue for complaints from the audience, so as to prevent violent reprisals….again, being true to Seares’ motto: “We should not just cover the community we serve but we should aldo serve the community we cover.” #

International Conference for Media Educators in Davao

2008-07-03T22:44:00.003+08:00

This year is the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights, the historical charter that came in the wake of World War II. During the launch of this anniversary, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the charter should be better known: “It is our duty to ensure that these rights are a living reality -- that they are known, understood and enjoyed by everyone, everywhere. It is often those who most need their human rights protected, who also need to be informed that the Declaration exists -- and that it exists for them.”

With this in mind, the Asian Congress for Media and Communication (ACMC) has organized an international conference on “Media in Asia: A Tool for Human Rights Education and Monitoring,” to tackle Human Rights from both an academic and practical perspective.

Director of Special Projects Alan Davis of the London-based Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) will be the keynote speaker.

Plenary topics and speakers for the conference include:
1) for Media Ethics, Prof. Rachel Khan, Journalism Chair of the University of the Philippines Diliman;
2) for Human Rights in Asia, An overview: Dr. Lisa Brooten, Faculty of Radio-Television, Mass Communication and Media Arts, Southern Illinois University, USA;
3) for Language and Human Rights: Dr. Isagani R. Cruz, former Philippine Undersecretary of Education and a University Fellow at De La Salle University in Manila;
4) for Media Law, Atty. Alicia Vidal, National Director for Bar Discipline of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), and a Faculty of Law of the University of the East Manila;
5) for Gender and Child Sensitivity in Media: Dr. Esther Esteban, professor, University of Asia and the Pacific; and
6) for Film and Human Rights: Ms. Boots Anson-Roa, Executive Director of Mowelfund Inc.

The conference, the 1st of its kind, will be held in Ateneo de Davao University on August 21-23, 2008. This coincides with the week-long Kadayawan Festival, which culminates with an amazing parade on August 24, the day after the conference.

Expected participants include: mass communication educators from the Philippines and neighboring Asian countries, students, media practitioners, government public information officers, people’s organization, and other interested individuals.

ACMC is a Philippine-based Asian-wide professional organization of lecturers, practitioners, and students in the field of media, communication, and language education. It is a non-stock, non-profit organization registered under the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission. Its primary purpose is to provide an avenue for academic discourse among institutions of media and communication. However, as a by-product, members are able: to establish linkages and networks among institutions of media and communication in Asia, to update knowledge of theory and practice in the field among practitioners and in the academe, to provide scholarships for students, lecturers, and practitioners of media and communication, and to mobilize people empowerment and participation through social responsibilities and projects.

The conference aims to expose educators and practitioners to the complex interconnections between media, communication, languages and human rights at a time when both have become central tenets of political, cultural and policy debate.#

Another journalist shot in Quezon province

2008-07-02T08:09:00.001+08:00

CMFR/Philippines – Two unidentified men gunned down a provincial journalist on his way home in Sariaya, Quezon province on 30 June 2008. Quezon is a province approximately 100 kms southeast of Manila.

Robert “Bert” Sison, a correspondent for the weekly Regional Bulletin and a broadcaster at the Lucena-based dzAT-AM, was with his daughters Almira and Liwayway when a gunman riding pillion on a motorcycle overtook his car and opened fire in Lutucan Bata village, Sariaya, Quezon at around 5:30 p.m.

"After overtaking the car, the suspects opened fire and when it stopped, one of them approached the car and peppered it with bullets,” the Manila broadsheet Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Quezon police director Senior Supt. Fidel Posadas as saying. “Clearly, the suspects were very angry at Sison."

Sison and his daughters were on their way home from a party when the incident happened. Witnesses said the assailants used a motorcycle with no plate and escaped through Guis-Guis village, The Philippine Star reported.

The police have yet to identify the suspects and the motive behind the killing. “We are looking into several leads,” Superintendent Eduardo Somera, Quezon police deputy for operations and head of the Task Force Bert Sison, said to CMFR. Posadas has created Task Force Bert Sison to handle the investigation.

Delfin Mallari Jr., an Inquirer correspondent and an officer of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines chapter in Quezon, said Sison’s family knew of no threat against him.

Sison sustained nine gunshot wounds, while Liwayway was shot in the right arm as she ran out of the car, police reports said. Almira was not hurt because her father shielded her from the shots.

Liwayway is now at a hospital in Lucena. Sison’s daughters also work as correspondents for the Regional Bulletin.

Sison was the second journalist/media practitioner killed this year. On 7 April 2008, provincial publisher Benefredo Acabal was shot dead by a motorcycle-riding man in Pasig City. Thirty-four journalists/media practitioners have been killed in the line of duty in the Philippines since 2001. #

Commentary on the Ces Drilon/ABS Crew Kidnapping

2008-06-19T01:24:00.003+08:00

The news regarding the safe release of ABS-CBN journalist Ces Drilon and her crew is indeed welcome though I'm not quite sure I'm happy about the media feast that followed it. As Ces said in the mini-presscon that followed her return to civilization, "there are many lessons learned." Hopefully, not just for Ces but for all Filipino journalists.

Instead of making my own commentary, allow me to refer you to Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) director Alan Davis' thoughts on the subject, which can be found here.

Asia New Media Forum

2008-06-12T23:59:00.003+08:00

Kuala Lumpur-- I found myself seated beside Steven Gan, editor-in-chief of the famous (or infamous, depending on where you are from) Malaysiakini. He was moderating the first panel of the Asia New Media Forum which dealt with "New Media for Democracy."

The program was opened yesterday by Seacem executive director Prem Chandran, who is also the founder of Malaysiakini. I was assigned by Sean Ang, Seacem's program manager, to be the first speaker, I guess because my topic was on "Promoting Human Rights Online." The next speaker was Janet Steele, a professor of George Washington University, who talked about her own study of Malaysiakini and its impact on the latest general elections in Malaysia. The other speakers were very interesting too, but I'm not sure its ethical to put their names on this blog as it may endanger some of them.

The two-day forum was well attended by participants from all over Southeast Asia and as far as Iran. Underground and exiled journalists from Myanmar were there too as well as several technology speakers who gave us the low-down on Web 2.0. All in all, it was well worth going there despite my hectic schedule...to think that I almost pulled out a week before the conference. (In photo: Seacem's Prem Chandran (standing), seated on my right is Seacem's Rachel Chan, we are with other journalists from the region during the culminating dinner.)

(The Asia New Media Forum, is an event organized by the Southeast Asian Centre for e-Media [Seacem], it brought together new media practitioners from the Asian region to share their expertise in emerging technologies and methodologies in the field of journalism for the new media. The event was supported by the Dutch media foundation, Free Voice.) #

ABS-CBN Journalists Kidnapped

2008-06-09T13:33:00.003+08:00

CMFR/Philippines—Three journalists from a major media network along with their source have been missing since 8 June 2008 in Sulu, Mindanao, and are believed to have been abducted by the Abu Sayyaf, the terrorist group based in Southern Philippines. Sulu is an island approximately 1,000 km south of Manila.

ABS-CBN network released a statement on 10 June 2008 stating that senior correspondent Cecilia Victoria "Ces" Oreña-Drilon and cameramen Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama were "missing in Sulu," Together with Mindanao State University Professor Octavio Dinampo, who had invited the three journalists to Sulu.

ABS-CBN said in a statement that "(a)ll efforts are underway to find them and bring them home."

"Until we learn more details, ABS-CBN requests other media to report on this matter with utmost consideration for the safety of our news team. ABS-CBN News is in touch with the families and asks that their privacy be respected," the network said.

In a report by online news site Inquirer.net, Chief Superintendent Joel Goltiao, police regional director for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, was quoted as saying the three media practitioners and Dinampo were intercepted Sunday in Maimbung, a town in Jolo, Sulu, by armed men under Albader Parader, an Abu Sayyaf leader in the area. The group was reportedly intercepted after their vehicle left a university hostel.

There has been no confirmed report of any ransom demands.

Drilon is a familiar face in Philippine TV news. She has been 12 years in broadcasting, according to her profile on the ABS-CBN website. She received the New Breed Reporter of the Year Award in the 1995 New Breed Awards for Television Broadcast Journalism Excellence, and was one of the awardees in the The Outstanding Women in the Nation's Service in 2004.

The Abu Sayyaf has carried out bombings and high-profile kidnappings and beheadings in the Philippines.

In 2000, ABS-CBN cameraman Val Cuenca and researcher/writer Maan Macapagal were kidnapped in Jolo by the Abu Sayyaf while they were covering an Abu Sayyaf kidnapping. Around 21 hostages had been kidnapped by the Abu Sayaff from a diving resort in Sidapan, Malaysia.

Cuenca and Macapagal were released after nearly a week in captivity after negotiations, with ABS-CBN, which said that no ransom was paid. In the same month, 10 foreign journalists who were reporting on the same hostage incident were also abducted in Jolo. They were released only after they had been divested of their equipment and valuables. #

Community Press Awards, Yr 12

2008-05-30T23:32:00.006+08:00

Last night, the Philippine Press Institute held its the Community Press Awards at the top floor of Diamond Hotel. This annual event is a laudable effort that honors the best of community journalism, a well-deserved recognition especially in a country where community journalists place their lives at risk to deliver the truth to the public. (In photo, from L-R: guest speaker Pacita Juan of Figaro, Eileen Mangubat and Connie Fernandez of CDN, Alex Pal of Metropost, Perfecto Raymundo of Mabuhay, unnamed, Stella Estremera of Sunstar-Davao, Gani Yambot of PDI, Mei Magsino of Balikas, Leah Castro of Baguio Midland Courier)

Winners this year were:
WEEKLY
Best in Photojournalism: Pampanga News
Best in Science and Environmental Reporting: Balikas
Best in Business and Economics Reporting: Baguio Midland Courier
Best Editorial Page: Metro Post
Best Edited Community Paper: Mabuhay
(In photo: the Sunstar group, in center: Cherry Lim & Mitch So of Sunstar-Cebu, Stella Estremera of Sun-star Davao)

DAILY
Best in Photojournalism: Sun.Star Davao
Best in Science and Environmental Reporting: Sun.Star Davao
Best in Business and Economics Reporting: Cebu Daily News
Best Editorial Page: Sun.Star Davao
Best Edited Community Paper: Cebu Daily News (CDN)

SPECIAL CITATION ON CIVIC JOURNALISM
Mabuhay
Sun.Star Cebu
Sun.Star Davao
(In right photo: Connie Fernandez of CDN and Dumaguete's MetroPost duo Alex and Irma Pal)

The awards for this 12th year were sponsored by the CocaCola Foundation. They were previously supported by UNIcef and the Konrad Adeneur Foundation. Sun.Star Cebu and The Freeman have been ineligible for the awards since 1999. The two Cebu papers were installed in the Hall of Fame in 2000. Sun.Star Cebu won eight major PPI awards, including Best Edited Daily for three consecutive years (1996, 1997, and 1998), a record still not duplicated in PPI history. #

Random thoughts about CWTS

2008-05-20T01:07:00.005+08:00

Summer is almost over and I'm still neck deep in the essays my students in CWTS (Citizens Welfare Training Service) had written about their outreach experiences.

The class was divided in two big groups for the two forms of outreach: the intellectual and the manual (this had nothing to do with the students' abilities but more the type of work they were going to be tasked to do).

Although the first group, also did some manual labor..such as painting a reading room and spending a week-long immersion in a poor barrio, most of their work focused on tutoring public school children in English and Math. The second group, which tied-up with Gawad Kalinga (GK), worked hard at putting up homes and beautifying a neighborhood.

Of the two groups, the second group probably had more fun and a greater sense of fulfillment. As I told my class on the last day, its more rewarding to see immediate results from your work than something than only has long-term effects.

Behind the concept of GK is the belief that if you give people dignified homes then the rest will follow, i.e. the desire to improve their lives, find better work, seek education. While, it is important for each person to live with dignity..in fact, it is a basic human right, I think that the shortcoming of GK is that it is limited to that one aspect of life. Putting up a home for the homeless is great but if they are not given other opportunities, such as jobs, then those homes will just soon turn into barracks. Despite the gung-ho attitude of the GK volunteers, I am hoping that they will reassess their organization to see where this is all heading. The original plan of the Couples of Christ was more than just philantrophic. It was building lives not just homes, giving people opportunities and Christian values not just a roof over their heads.

As a college student I used to spend two afternoons a week tutoring kids in a public school near the Munoz market. There are no instant rewards to this kind of outreach, except the occasional thank you card and hugs from the kids. But, kids like those just need the encouragement and help to finish their schooling so that they can aim for higher things and hopefully be the instrument to pull their family out of poverty.

If I were to believe all the essays before me (i.e. assuming hindi ito bola ng mga estudyante), I could only conclude that the CWTS this summer was a success...in terms of a) exposing the students to the plight of the less fortunate; b) make them realize that they can do something about it even at their age and stage in life; c) help them reflect on their role as Filipino citizens. But as they say, the test of the pudding is in the eating. So the test of CWTS would be if these same students continue the outreach they had started during the summer and factor it in their schedule during the remainder of their college days. More CWTS photos here.#

Justice Eludes Esperat Case

2008-05-19T17:41:00.001+08:00

CMFR/Philippines–The Cebu Court of Appeals issued on 14 May 2008 a writ of preliminary injunction prohibiting the Cebu City Regional Trial Court (RTC) from proceeding with the case against the suspected masterminds in the 2005 murder of journalist Marlene Esperat. Cebu is a province approximately 562 km south of Manila.

In a five-page resolution penned by Associate Justice Francisco Acosta and co-signed by Associate Justices Amy Lazaro-Javier and Florito Macalino, the Cebu Court of Appeals granted the 7 May 2008 petition for a writ of preliminary injunction filed by Osmeña Montañer and Estrella Sabay, both accused of ordering the killing of Esperat, preventing Cebu City RTC Branch 7 Judge Simeon Dumdum Jr. from hearing the case for an indefinite period. It also stopped the 4 February 2008 warrants of arrest against Montañer and Sabay from being served.

Esperat, known as "Madame Witness," was killed on 24 March 2005 in full view of her children. She had exposed numerous cases of graft and corruption in the Department of Agriculture Region 12 office, where Montañer and Sabay serve as finance officer and regional accountant, respectively.

Based on the arguments during the 24 March 2008 hearing on the petition for certiorari and the 3 April 2008 manifestation of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), which sided with the accused, the Court of Appeals was "convinced that justice would be better served if the status quo is preserved until the final determination of the merits of the case." The OSG serves as the law office of the Philippine government.

The Cebu Court of Appeals granted last 25 March the prayer for a 60-day temporary restraining order (TRO) by Montañer and Sabay.

The Appellate Court said Cebu RTC has no jurisdiction over the murder case filed against the two accused since it happened in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat. It cited the OSG's comment filed on 3 April that the Supreme Court 23 November 2005 order transferring the venue of Criminal Case No. 2568 from Tacurong RTC to Cebu City RTC does not apply to the present case against Montañer and Sabay.

"Criminal Case No. 2568 against petitioners as accused in [Criminal] Case No. CBU-82237… had already become final and can no longer be disturbed by the courts. The filing therefore of the Information against petitioners cannot be said to be a continuation of Criminal Case no. 2568," the OSG explains.

Criminal Case No. 2568 pertains to the case against Randy Grecia, Gerry Cabayag and Estanislao Bismanos. The three were convicted and sentenced to reclusion perpetua by Cebu City RTC Judge Eric Menchavez on 6 October 2006 through the help of the testimony of suspect-turned-state witness Rowie Barua. Criminal Case No. CBU-82237 meanwhile refers to the ongoing case against Sabay and Montañer.

When the Supreme Court issued the resolution granting the transfer of venue, Tacurong City RTC Judge Francis Palmones had already dismissed the case against Montañer and Sabay. Palmones dismissed the case even before the prosecution's presentation of evidence.

The OSG suggested that it would only be possible to hear the case in Cebu if the prosecution withdraws the charges filed before the Cebu RTC, files it before the Tacurong RTC, and asks the Supreme Court to again transfer the venue of the case from Tacurong to Cebu.

The Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists (FFFJ) filed on 4 July 2005 the petition to transfer the case to Cebu in response to security concerns of the witnesses and considering the clout of the accused which could unduly influence the case if heard in Tacurong. FFFJ is a coalition of six media organizations working to promote and protect press freedom. The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility is a founding member of FFFJ and serves as its secretariat. The prosecution has 20 days to reply. Montañer and Sabay, on the other hand, were asked to pay P50, 000 ($1,190.75) each as injunction bond.

Nena Santos, private counsel for the prosecution, said that she only received the copy of Montañer and Sabay's 7 May 2008 petition for a writ of preliminary injunction the same day that the Court of Appeals granted the petition. "There has not even been a hearing yet a decision has already been reached," Santos said.

State prosecutor Llena Ipong-Avila said that the prosecution will file a motion to overturn the Court of Appeals injunction within the 20-day deadline, and would bring the case to the Supreme Court if the Cebu Court of Appeals dismisses it. #

Training for Palawan Journalists

2008-05-15T22:20:00.008+08:00

The gap between the May 3 and 12 entries on this blog was primarily due to the training we held for Palawan journalists last May 8-10 in Dos Palmas, Puerto Princesa.

The training, which was sponsored by the Shell Exploration company, was a first for the journalists of that province who were really desirous of enhancing their professional skills. Some 46 journalists attended, with almost 50% in print and the rest in broadcast.

When first assigned by the dean to be part of the training team, I hesitated..because Dos Palmas was an hour's boat ride from Puerto Princesa's port and I'm so susceptible to motion sickness. (And, I did get motion sickness, plus an attack of vertigo!) But the curiousity got the better of me.. I wanted to see the site of the infamous Burnham and Regis Romero kidnapping by the Abu Sayyaf in 2001. We found out from the island staff that their cottages, the premier ones on the island, were located on the water near the entrance port (see inset).

We were assured by the Dos Palmas admin that since that incident, security on the island had tripled...and, we could see security boats patrolling the island.

In any case, the training went well and despite the temptation of the surroundings, the participants were very attentive during the sessions, which began at 8am and ended at supper time. On day two, in fact, it ended at 9pm for the participants, but the trainors (us) has to spend the night editing/assessing their stories for the workshop the following morning. Apart from some members of the Journalism and Broadcast faculty, we had with us Probe's Cheche Lazaro, who gave a lecture on the art of interviewing and Prof. Winnie Monsod, who gave a press conference on the "War on Poverty." The presscon had two aims, 1) to provide the journalists with stories that they could actually submit to their media organizations to make up for the time that they were couped up on the island; 2) to provide a testing ground for the lectures we ahd been giving in this 3-day training program.

Despite the hectic sked, a few of us did manage to sneak in sometime for some fun...and Pinky (Prof. Aseron) and I got to go snorkeling on snake island. #

Citizenship & the Media Practitioner

2008-05-14T23:53:00.001+08:00

As a culminating activity for summer classes, I invited Manuel Quezon III, otherwise known as "The Explainer," to talk to my students about the concept of Citizenship.

Taking time out from his busy schedule, Manolo graciously agreed to come to UP-CMC to do just that. It was an enriching discussion between Manolo and CMC students, who probably thought they knew all the answers until they found themselves at a loss for words from questions raised by the speaker.

One thing that emerged from yesterday's discussion was that the students' concept of citizenship was not limited to the legalistic definition provided by the 1987 Constitution but more of the culturally accepted definition that to be a Filipino was more an issue of blood (who your parents are) than the soil you were born in. Manolo also brought with him interesting references (found here), that shows the evolution of "citizenship" in Filipino thought from the sublime principles of the Katipunan to Lacson's "12 little things every Filipino can do to help our country."

But the implications of being a "citizen," perhaps need greater reflection which a two hour discussion can barely cover. As media practitioners, I believe the concept should be clear. It is only when one sees himself/herself as part of the community of people that one can actually serve the common good rather than think only of himself/herself.

Perhaps, a quiz on citizenship is what both our lawmakers and media practitioners need??!!

CWTS Adventures

2008-05-12T20:48:00.004+08:00

Student volunteers trapped after flash flood hits GK village
By KRIS DANIELLE SUAREZ, abs-cbnNEWS.com

A flash flood inundated a Gawad Kalinga (GK) Village in Brookside, Bagong Silangan, Quezon City on Monday, trapping residents and a group of students visiting the area.

The flash flood was caused by a five-meter long segment dike that gave way when rain-induced floodwaters overflowed from the creek.

A resident identified only as "Nissy" told abs-cbnNEWS.com in a phone interview that the floods rose to "shoulder-level," inundating the homes.

"Normally, when it floods, it only goes up to the knees. But this is definitely a first. It's up to the shoulders now if you're standing at ground level," Nissy added via a text message.

An estimated 100 homes were affected by the flood, police said.

Many residents were trapped inside their homes, while some bore holes in their roofs to escape to their rooftops.

Many residents rushed to evacuate small children and elderly residents to the evacuation center.

Eight-year-old Joseph Arevalo was reported missing due to the raging floodwaters.

Students from the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, who were in the area for a community service activity, were also trapped by the floodwaters.

"This was actually our last day for Gawad Kalinga. We were done painting the houses, repairing them, and we were giving them a sort of a celebration," said student Denise San Jose.

"We were having so much fun and then suddenly it started raining," Jenin Velasquez, another student, said.

Although the floodwaters have receded as of 6:15 p.m. Monday, residents have been advised by police not to return to their houses to avoid being caught by another sudden flooding overnight.

The residents are temporarily being housed inside the barangay hall. - With reports from Dominic Almelor, ABS-CBN News#

World Press Freedom Day

2008-05-03T23:51:00.004+08:00

World Press Freedom Day is celebrated every year on 3 May worldwide. It was first proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed World Press Freedom Day in 1993, following a recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO’s General Conference in 1991.

Why is it important to celebrate today?? As I said, during the ANC PrimeNews show with Chiqui Roa, earlier this evening: A free press plays a key role in sustaining and monitoring a healthy democracy, as well as in contributing to greater accountability, good government, and economic development. A special day dedicated to Press Freedom serves as an opportunity to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; to evaluate press freedom, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

In the case of the Philippines, the press freedom situation in the country has been on the decline since the turn of the century. I still have my freedom map of 1999, which shows the Philippines to be among the nations with a “free” press. Unfortunately, this has been downgraded since 2004. The country is now counted among those who are “partly free.” (See enclosed map, color green means “free”; yellow, “partly free”; and purple, “not free”). For the world map, click on the Freedom House website.

In terms of ranking, however, Freedom House ranks the Philippines in the 100th place in 2007 as against the 89th place in 2006. why are we going down? Because apart from killings of journalists, the press is now experiencing other more subtle (and not so subtle) threats against its freedom. While, we should be thankful that less journalists have been killed in the past year, the level of impunity remains high, even as the Arroyo government needs to show greater political will in bringing perpetrators to justice. #

PPI has a blog!

2008-04-28T04:44:00.001+08:00

The Philippine Press Institute (PPI), the national association of newspapers, will honor the best weekly and daily regional newspapers in categories such as best in photojournalism, best in business reporting, best in science and environment reporting, best editorial page, and best edited paper, as they take the limelight in the 2007 Annual Community Press Awards on May 29, 2008 at the Diamond Hotel Philippines.

This is the highlight of the Institute’s 12^th National Press Forum and 2008 Annual Membership Meeting which will kick off with the opening of the exhibits and bazaar on May 27. The best practices on Civic Journalism will also be cited. The new awards logo and trophy design of the “PPI-Coca Cola Civic Journalism Community Press Awards” will also be unveiled. The Coca-Cola Export Corporation (TCCEC) will be PPI’s new partner in the awards program next year. Read more about it in their new blog.

Know Thy Self

2008-04-21T06:28:00.000+08:00

This summer, as part of the CWTS (Citizens Welfare Training Service) class, I had given the students an exercise on knowing their "temperament."

Temperament is defined as that part of the personality which is genetically based. Along with character, i.e. those virtues acquired through learning, the two together are said to constitute personality.

Knowing the differences of temperament among individuals is important in dealing with others. They affect the interactions among family and peers. While some can adapt quickly and easily to a given situation and get along with other people; there are those who may have a difficult time adjusting. A lack of understanding of self and others often times contribute to the factors that lead to stress and friction among individuals.

This is one of the best websites I've found to test one's temperament.

Pope Benedict at the Yankee Stadium

2008-04-20T23:59:00.003+08:00

(Why didn't we have events like these when I was living in NYC??????)

NEW YORK - Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Mass and American Catholicism in storied Yankee Stadium on Sunday, telling his massive U.S. flock to use its freedoms wisely as he closed out his first papal trip to the United States.

Benedict beamed before a joyous crowd of 57,000, hours after making a solemn stop to pray at the site of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

He called the Mass "a summons to move forward with firm resolve to use wisely the blessings of freedom, in order to build a future of hope for coming generations."

And he repeated a core message of his six-day pilgrimage — that faith must play a role in public life, citing the need to oppose abortion.

The unwavering truth of the Roman Catholic message, he said, guarantees respect for the dignity of all "including the most defenseless of all human beings, the unborn child in the mother's womb." The crowd applauded the line.

Worshippers filled the seats, chanting, clapping and waving white and yellow handkerchiefs in the Vatican's colors as the white popemobile pulled in. At the end of the service the German-born Benedict again processed out slowly, serenaded by the strains of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy."

Outside the stadium, two dump trucks filled with sand blockaded 161st Street before Mass, an extra level of security along with the heavy police presence. Pilgrims without tickets pushed up against metal police barricades, hoping to get a glimpse of the arriving pope.

Inside, ad-splashed outfield walls were draped in white with purple and yellow bunting. A white altar perched over second base, and the papal seal covered the pitcher's mound, suspended by white and yellow ribbons.

"I have never seen Yankee Stadium so beautiful, and I have season's tickets," said Philip Giordano, 49, a tax attorney from Greenwich, Conn., who won seats in the loge section behind home plate through a parish lottery. "It sure beats sitting in my local church."

Added his wife, Suzanne: "I'm hoping to feel something from (Benedict). Everyone who has seen him says they crumple, their knees buckle. You come away just feeling different."

The New Orleans crooner Harry Connick Jr., on the pre-Mass concert program, remarked that he is often asked if he's a practicing Catholic.

"Practicing?" he said. "I'm playing for the pope today."

Benedict seemed to enjoy his long journey to the altar in the popemobile, waving to people in the stands. From the altar, he stood to acknowledge the crowd's roar when New York Cardinal Edward Egan welcomed him.

He praised the U.S. church, which has 65 million members, in his homily, saying that "in this land of freedom and opportunity, the church has united a widely diverse flock" and contributed greatly to American society.

Earlier, on a chilly, gray morning, the pope blessed the site of the terror attacks and pleaded with God to bring "peace to our violent world."

The visit by Benedict to ground zero was a poignant moment in a trip marked by unexpectedly festive crowds such as the one at Sunday's Mass.

Benedict was driven in the popemobile part-way down a ramp now used mostly by construction trucks to a spot by the north tower's footprint. He walked the final steps, knelt in silent prayer, then rose to light a memorial candle.

Addressing a group that included survivors, clergy and public officials, he acknowledged the many faiths of the victims at the "scene of incredible violence and pain."

The pope also prayed for "those who suffered death, injury and loss" in the attacks at the Pentagon and in the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pa. More than 2,900 people were killed in the four crashes of the airliners hijacked by al-Qaida.

"God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world," the pope prayed. "Turn to your way of love those whose hearts and minds are consumed with hatred."

Benedict invited 24 people with ties to ground zero to join him: survivors, relatives of victims and four rescue workers. He greeted each member of the group individually as a string quartet played in the background. In his prayer, he also remembered those who, "because of their presence here that day, suffer from injuries and illness."

New York deputy fire chief James Riches, father of a fallen Sept. 11 firefighter, said the pope's visit gave him consolation.

"We said 'Where was God?' on 9/11, but he's come back here today and they've restored our faith," Riches said.

The site where the World Trade Center was destroyed is normally filled with hundreds of workers building a 102-story skyscraper, a memorial and transit hub. It bears little resemblance to the debris-filled pit where crews toiled to remove twisted steel and victims' remains.

The remains of more than 1,100 people have never been identified.

Back at Yankee Stadium, some worshippers filed out of the service slowly, trying to soak up the atmosphere as long as they could.

"It was great for the young, it was great for the old," Judith Halsey, a nurse from Bayonne, N.J., said of Benedict's visit as she left the Mass. "It was an uplifting time for the entire Catholic religion. Everyone needed this." -- By VICTOR L. SIMPSON, Associated Press Writer #

Fulbright: 60 years in RP

2008-04-19T03:46:00.001+08:00

Yesterday (April 18), Fulbright Alumni of all ages and degrees gathered together at Nikko Dusit Hotel to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Fubright program in the Philippines.

The event began at 10am with the opening of an cultural exhibit showcasing the art work of alumni followed by a day-long program. The highlight of the program was the report to members by Alumni president Isagani Cruz (see inset, left), then the awarding of outstanding Fulbright Alumni. The trophy was designed by national artist Napoleon Abueva, who is himself a fulbrighter. Among those awarded were: Dr. Glen Aguilar (agriculture); Mr. Cesar Buenaventura (business); Dr. Edilberto de Jesus (education, see inset, right); Dr. Ceferino Follosco (public service); Dr. Carolina Hernandez (social sciences); Dr. Reynaldo Vea (science & technology); and,

Mr. Nestor Vinluan (art & humanities).

The anniversary program was capped with a cocktail and a night of dancing. It was a great opportunity to get in touch with batchmates I hadn't seen for a long time. (inset below: My batchmates Prof. Rey Concepcion of UP-Fine Arts and Prof. Charisse Baldoria of UP-Music take the floor).

The Fulbright Program in the Philippines was established in March 1948 through an executive agreement signed by Philippines and US government representatives, creating a bi-national commission, now called the Philippine-American Education Foundation (PAEF), to carry out the cultural and educational exchanges between the two countries.

It is the longest continuously operating Fulbright program in the world and has given nearly 2,000 awards to Filipinos and 700 awards to Americans. #

Pope at the UN

2008-04-18T21:08:00.000+08:00

NEW YORK, APRIL 18, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI said his presence at the United Nations was a sign of esteem for the organization, called to be "an instrument of service to the entire human family."

The Pope affirmed this when he addressed the U.N. General Assembly this morning, shortly after having arrived in New York for the second leg of his two-city U.S. tour.

The Holy Father landed in the United States on Tuesday evening. On Wednesday, his 81st birthday, he began an intense schedule of meetings and discourses. His three-hour visit today to the United Nations marked the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the foundational document of the international organization. He was invited last year to address the group by the U.N. secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon.

Ban welcomed Benedict XVI, noting that the United Nations is a secular institution but that "if you ask those of us who work for the United Nations what motivates us, many of us reply in a language of faith. We see what we do not only as a job, but as a mission. Indeed, mission is the word we use most often for our work around the world -- from peace and security to development to human rights."

"Your Holiness, in so many ways, our mission unites us with yours," the secretary-general added.

The Pontiff was given the floor and greeted the diplomats in the general assembly room, and through them, "the peoples who are represented here."

Citing the U.N. Charter, Benedict XVI said these peoples "look to this institution to carry forward the founding inspiration to establish a 'center for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends' of peace and development."

What it should be
The Pope's talk, given partly in French and partly in English, did not name any particular state or situation, but reminded the United Nations of its raison d'être.

"As Pope John Paul II expressed it in 1995, the organization should be 'a moral center where all the nations of the world feel at home and develop a shared awareness of being, as it were, a "family of nations,"'" Benedict XVI noted.

He continued: "Through the United Nations, states have established universal objectives which, even if they do not coincide with the total common good of the human family, undoubtedly represent a fundamental part of that good.

"The founding principles of the organization -- the desire for peace, the quest for justice, respect for the dignity of the person, humanitarian cooperation and assistance -- express the just aspirations of the human spirit, and constitute the ideals which should underpin international relations."

Benedict XVI placed himself in line with his predecessors in saying that the work of the United Nations is "something that the Catholic Church and the Holy See follow attentively and with interest, seeing in your activity an example of how issues and conflicts concerning the world community can be subject to common regulation."

International ordering
The Pope said that the United Nations "embodies the aspiration for a 'greater degree of international ordering,'" which John Paul II referred to in his encyclical "Sollicitudo Rei Socialis."

This ordering "inspired and governed by the principle of subsidiarity," would therefore be "capable of responding to the demands of the human family through binding international rules and through structures capable of harmonizing the day-to-day unfolding of the lives of peoples."

However, the Holy Father lamented the "obvious paradox of a multilateral consensus that continues to be in crisis because it is still subordinated to the decisions of a few, whereas the world's problems call for interventions in the form of collective action by the international community."

"Indeed, questions of security, development goals, reduction of local and global inequalities, protection of the environment, of resources and of the climate, require all international leaders to act jointly and to show a readiness to work in good faith, respecting the law, and promoting solidarity with the weakest regions of the planet," he affirmed.

And he mentioned in particular the situation of Africa and other parts of the world, "at risk of experiencing only the negative effects of globalization."

"In the context of international relations, it is necessary to recognize the higher role played by rules and structures that are intrinsically ordered to promote the common good, and therefore to safeguard human freedom," the Pope said.

Church's support
Benedict XVI stated, "My presence at this assembly is a sign of esteem for the United Nations, and it is intended to express the hope that the organization will increasingly serve as a sign of unity between states and an instrument of service to the entire human family."

And he reiterated the Church's desire to "offer her proper contribution to building international relations in a way that allows every person and every people to feel they can make a difference."

In particular, the Pope explained, "The United Nations remains a privileged setting in which the Church is committed to contributing her experience 'of humanity,' developed over the centuries among peoples of every race and culture, and placing it at the disposal of all members of the international community."

"In my recent encyclical, 'Spe Salvi,' I indicated that 'every generation has the task of engaging anew in the arduous search for the right way to order human affairs,'" the Holy Father said. "For Christians, this task is motivated by the hope drawn from the saving work of Jesus Christ. That is why the Church is happy to be associated with the activity of this distinguished Organization, charged with the responsibility of promoting peace and good will throughout the earth."#

CWTS teams

2008-04-14T11:37:00.003+08:00

Well, summer classes have begun and I'm stuck with the Citizens Welfare Training Service Class. In UP being chair is no fun...if no one wants to teach a course, you have to take it. Oh well, I still hope that it will be a fun and fruitful summer...and that the students also find meaning in it. I'm thankful that there are people who do volunteer work, even if they are not required by school, hopefully the CWTS students this summer will learn a lot from them.

The CWTS teams are found here. Please note that Teams A to E will meet at 1:00-3:00pm; while Teams F to J will meet from 3:00pm to 5:00pm.

Congrats to Jessica and Jam

2008-04-09T22:44:00.002+08:00

Congrats to Jessica Hermosa and Johanna Sisante for the publication of their investigative report on Biofuels and the Congressional conflicts of interest. The articles were published in various newspapers last April 7-8 under the following titles:

Iggy Arroyo to use biofuels law to evade CARP? and Ethical lapses mark passage of biofuels law

The 2-part article is the abbreviated version of their undergraduate thesis under their adviser Prof. Yvonne Chua. The Journalism Department is nominating this as best thesis for SY'07-'08.

Provincial publisher killed in Pasig

2008-04-08T23:40:00.000+08:00

CMFR/Philippines—An individual onboard a motorcycle gunned down a newspaper publisher at around 10:15 pm (local time) on 7 April 2008 night in Pasig City in the Philippines. Pasig is one of the cities that make up the National Capital Region, where the country’s capital, Manila, is located.

Benefredo Acabal, 34, the publisher and a columnist of the Cavite-based paper Pilipino Newsmen, was shot by a gunman onboard a motorcycle along Amang Rodriguez Avenue corner Greenpark Village, Manggahan, Pasig City. Cavite is a province south of Manila.

A certain Army Staff Sergeant Antonio Ramos Raynilo reportedly brought Acbal to the Rizal Medical Center for treatment. Acbal however was dead on arrival due to multiple gunshot wounds.

Raynilo did not give any statement.

"Reluctant magsalita iyong staff sergeant. Basta hinatid niya lang yung biktima at ayaw magbigay ng address (The staff sergeant was reluctant to speak and refused to give his address. He just rushed the victim to the hospital)," Police Officer Lardy Ignacio told the online news site gmanews.tv.

Police later recovered five empty 9mm shells from the crime scene.

The marketing supervisor of Pilipino Newsmen, who refused identification, said that the publication started only this year, and has had only four issues. He said that prior to Acabal’s work for Pilipino Newsmen, the latter worked as a columnist for the national tabloid Bomba (Bomb) where he wrote political commentaries.

Police have not established the motive behind Acbal’s killing, said Major Henry Libay, a member of the secretariat of the Philippine National Police’s Task Force Usig. Libay also said that the police are reluctant to classify Acbal as a journalist since the latter’s wife did not identify the slain publisher as a journalist. Task Force Usig is tasked to investigate cases of extrajudicial and journalists’ killings.

The police, however, have not ruled out the possibility that the killing was related to Acabal’s work as a journalist.

The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility has listed 70 journalists/media practitioners killed in the line of duty since 1986. Thirty-three of the 70 were killed during the present Gloria Macapagal Arroyo administration.

2nd semester grades

2008-03-26T22:15:00.003+08:00

Dear students,
I've just updated my grade sheet for this semester. (click on graphic). Please check my records against the papers I've returned to you (or you should claim from my pigeonhole at the Journ Dept). Please email me if there are any corrections and bring the papers in question to the department. Happy Summer!!!

Justice for Esperat--stalled!!!

2008-03-25T23:28:00.001+08:00

CMFR/Philippines—The Cebu City Court of Appeals issued a 60-day temporary restraining order (TRO) on 25 March 2008 in the trial of the suspected masterminds in the killing of a journalist. Cebu is a province approximately 562 km south of Manila.

A three-page resolution penned by Associate Jusitce Francisco Acosta and co-signed by Associate Justices Pampio Abarintos and Amy Lazario-Javier granted the 4 February 2008 petition filed by Osmeña Montañer and Estrella Sabay, accused of ordering the 24 March 2005 killing of journalist Marlene Esperat, asking for the issuance of a TRO to prevent Cebu Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 7 Judge Simeon Dumdum from hearing the case.

The Cebu Court of Appeals has yet to issue a resolution on the petition for certiorari also filed by Sabay and Montañer on 4 February 2008. A certiorari is a writ which could be issued by a superior court to a lower court to annul or modify ongoing proceedings if the latter judge acted on a case outside his jurisdiction.

Sabay and Montañer argued that Dumdum has no jurisdiction over the case since the 23 November 2005 Supreme Court resolution approving the transfer of the case from Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat to Cebu City, Cebu only applied to then accused Estanislao Bismanos, Rowie Barua, Gerry Cabayag and Randy Grecia.

Cebu City Regional Trial Court Judge Eric Menchavez had earlier sentenced Bismanos, Cabayag and Grecia—the gunman, lookout, and co-conspirator—to life imprisonment on 6 October 2006. Barua, who turned state witness, was discharged.

The Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists (FFFJ), a coalition of six media organizations working to promote and protect press freedom, petitioned the Supreme Court on 4 July 2005 for the transfer of the Bismanos et al, case to Cebu. The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility is a founding member of FFFJ and serves as its secretariat.

FFFJ asked for the transfer in response to the safety concerns of the witnesses and the need for a more neutral court and environment, the accused being allegedly influential in Tacurong.

Esperat, who had written exposés accusing Montañer and Sabay of corrupt practices, was gunned down in full view of her children while the family was having dinner in their Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat residence. Sultan Kudarat is a province approximately 975 km south of Manila.

Sabay and Montañer were not included in the Supreme Court resolution granting the transfer of venue because Tacurong City Judge Francis Palmones, then presiding judge of the case, had dismissed the case against Sabay and Montañer. Palmones dismissed the case against the two alleged masterminds even before the prosecution had presented evidence.

Private prosecutor Nena Santos said that the Montañer and Sabay petition for certiorari and TRO is "another scheme to get away with murder through technicalities. "I'm discouraged and saddened (by the issuance of the TRO), but I'm not giving up," Santos said.

Santos filed a letter to the Supreme Court on 24 March 2008 asking for a "declaratory resolution" on the case's change of venue. In her letter, Santos asked for the Supreme Court to state "that only the Supreme Court has sole authority to act on matters affecting the change of venue of trial in criminal cases and that (the 23 November 2005 Supreme Court resolution ordering the transfer of venue) clearly subsumes and encompasses the trial" of Sabay and Montañer.

Santos also asked for the Supreme Court to require the accused to explain why they should not be cited for contempt since the issue of transfer of venue has already been resolved by the Supreme Court, to direct the Cebu Court of Appeals to dismiss Sabay and Montañer's petition for certiorari, and to direct the Cebu RTC branch 7 to proceed with the case.

"Considering the absurdity of the position the accused have now taken, i.e., that the case should be returned to Tacurong City, or refiled in Cotabato City, we feel that it behooves the Supreme Court as a court of law and equity to use its plenary power to assist the People of the Philippines, private complainants and the media group in obtaining a speedy, just and inexpensive determination of this only media murder case where the masterminds have long been identified, investigated, re-investigated, charged and re-charged but never arrested and brought to trial," Santos said in her letter.

"The authority of the Court and respect for fair trial are put to the greatest test when influential high government officials are the accused. Even when they are tried they have resources and connections to reduce the trial to a farce. In the case of Marlene Esperat accused mastermind's abuse of the judicial process makes a mockery of our laws and the concept of fair trial. Their unwarranted reliance on technicality, which amazingly has been aided by some judges have openly embarrassed the administration of justice with impunity," Santos added.

Dumdum issued arrest warrants for Sabay and Montañer on 4 February 2008, but the two were never arrested. #

Crabby Stone Age

2008-03-17T03:24:00.008+08:00

Last Friday, before Holy Week set in and classes came to an end, our little gang at the PPI (Phil. Press Institute) decided to have some time off for a gimmick. Since the gang has..ahem--expensive taste--we decided to have dinner at Claw Daddy's at Bonifacio High Street. We certainly enjoyed our order of a 1.3 kilo king crab cooked in really spicy Szetchuan sauce. But we didn't realize what a "cave(wo)man" experience this would turn out to be.

First of all, eating crabs is really "hands-on" if you want to get every bit of morsel that can be scooped out of the shell. And second, for a fancy restaurant, they didn't have a nut-seafood cracker. When we asked for one the waiter handed us a round stone and a flat one..ala mortar & pestle....it worked, but there was always the fear that it would bounce off the stone and hit the person in front of the one cracking the crab (see my hands working on a claw--inset). Considering that we were paying over P1k for that crab, they should provide customers with a more dignified cracker.

In any case, we then appreciated the fact that the resto provided customers with bibs (rather than table napkins) since there was clear and present danger of getting all messed up.

Well, all I can say is that its a place to eat when you're with friends or family (i.e. people you are super-comfortable with), like Ariel, Tess and Nick (see left inset) . It definitely is not the place to go to when you are out on a date or in a business meeting. P.S. the Salmon salad was great too, but the clam spaghetti sucked. #

to be or not to be...ethical

2008-03-16T22:44:00.001+08:00

Some students of mine are doing a thesis that examines how journalism ethics is being taught in other schools around Luzon. It bothers me that in most cases the subject is taught much like an after thought and not given real importance. Also, the findings show that ethics is often reduced to a set of do's and don'ts or limited to the Code of Ethics.

What many do not realize is that the Code of Ethics is just one criterion of being truly ethical. In fact, most of the time it is inadequate because it makes a lot of fuss about the small stuff and misses out on the bigger ethical issues. For me, there are five points in determining if an action is ethical or not:

1. An act is said to be good or bad if it is deemed a crime or fault in the laws of the country;
2. An act is good or bad depending on what the majority believes (e.g. Code of Ethics);
3. The goodness or the badness of an act is determined by one’s conscience;
4. Human nature determines the morality of an act;
5. An act is said to be good or bad according to what God has pointed out in revealing Himself (10 commandments, the Koran..)

These points are not mutually exclusive nor are they the only criteria, but its safe to say that if it passes this five-point test then one is on the right track. Now, if my students in Comm 110 can explain these, they are likely to pass the final exam. ;-)

Student Paper Competition

2008-03-02T10:35:00.000+08:00

The Asian Congress for Media & Communication (ACMC), an Asian-wide organization of media and communication educators which I co-founded last year, is hosting a Grand Prix Student Paper Competition.

The paper should be related to media and communication with focus on the ACMC International Conference’s theme: “Media in Asia: A Tool for Human Rights Education and Monitoring.” Only university residents can join the contest. A team will be composed of two undergraduate students and one faculty-adviser. The top ten papers will be published in the ACMC Student Compendium. Authors of the top three papers will get a free trip to Davao to present their paper in the conference slated for August 21-23, 2008. For more information about ACMC and the Grand Prix, click on the graphic above. #

Impunity and Press Freedom

2008-03-01T03:38:00.002+08:00

The "Impunity and Press Freedom" conference held at the Manila Pen from February 27-29, turned out to be a very interesting exchange between Filipino lawyers and media practitioners and their Latin American counterparts.

Killings of journalists are not unique to the Philippines. In fact, the situation in some countries of Latin America, such as Colombia, are worst. At the same time, however, the Latin American media and civil society have been more successful at prosecuting the guilty ones and they have a higher rate of assassins and masterminds in jail than we do.

I think the most quotable quote of the whole affair was uttered by Argentinian Damian Loreti of the Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales, who said that there is:

no democracy without justice,
no justice without truth,
no truth without memory

How rightly said...it is something that can be applied not only to the killings of journalists but the problems ailing our society at present. I have always thought that the greatest problem of Filipinos was there short-term memory. This is why we never learn from our past mistakes and that is why injustice, corruption, etcetera continues to plague us.

Truth is an important commodity in the fight against injustice and this is why media practitioners of integrity are so much needed. At the same time, the public has to realize that media's intergrity is fostered by a vigilant audience who will call media to task when they are in error and at the same time, rally behind media practitioners when they are being suppressed, threatened or even killed as a result of their effort to bring out the truth.

(photo inset: standing- Prof. Doreen Weisenhaus of the University of Hong Kong, seated - Joel Simon of the Committee to Protect Journalists (USA); Carlos Castillo of the Fundacion para la Libertad de Prensa (Colombia); Damian Miguel Loreti; and, Carolyn Arguillas of Mindanews (Philippines)

related links: www.impunidad.com#

2008-02-26T08:09:00.001+08:00

CMFR/MANILA - Legal experts and press freedom advocates from Asia, Europe, the US, and from as far as Latin America are flying into Manila this week to help find solutions to a long-festering crisis in the Philippines: the unabated and unsolved killing of journalists throughout the country.

Prosecutors, judges, human rights advocates and even high-level justices from such countries as Colombia, Guatemala, Argentina, Spain, the US, Indonesia, and the rest of Southeast Asia, are expected to meet with Philippine media, rights advocates, and members of the national legal community to address the topic of and to attend a conference on "Impunity and Press Freedom" in the Philippines from Wednesday, February 27 to Friday, February 29.

Welcoming the foreign experts, said the Bangkok-based Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) and its Manila-based member, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), will be no less then Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno, who will deliver the opening keynote address to the conference.

"The Philippines, unfortunately, is notorious for the number of journalists that have been killed in recent years and over the past two decades," says Melinda Quintos de Jesus, executive director of the CMFR.

"It is one of the sad ironies this week, as we celebrate the 22nd anniversary of the People Power revolution. The Philippines free press – side by side with human rights advocates – is under the gun, and this crucial pillar of our democracy has remained vulnerable to lawlessness, weaknesses in the judicial system, and general apathy of the national government."

CMFR notes that no less than 70 journalists have been killed in the Philippines since 1986. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which along with the Open Society Insitute (OSI) is supporting this week's conference, in 2006 called the Philippines one of the "most murderous" places for journalists anywhere in the world.

During the term of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo alone, CMFR says at least 33 journalists have been murdered in the line of duty. There have been few arrests, and zero conviction of the masterminds behind the murders.

"That's what impunity means," SEAPA executive director Roby Alampay says. "The word comes from the Latin 'impunis' which means 'unpunished'. It refers to the absence of justice that perpetuates a cycle of even more violence and injustice. It is a word that they contend with in such places as Colombia and Argentina, and it is a problem that we all must solve if Philippine democracy is to survive."

The Updated Set of Principles for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights Through Action to Combat Impunity, submitted to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in 2005 defines impunity as: "the impossibility, de jure or de facto, of bringing the perpetrators of violations to account – whether in criminal, civil, administrative or disciplinary proceedings – since they are not subject to any inquiry that might lead to their being accused, arrested, tried and, if found guilty, sentenced to appropriate penalties, and to making reparations to their victims."

The conference on "Impunity and Press Freedom" in the Philippines will run from February 27 to 29 at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City.

For more information, please see the attached program and list of speakers expected at the conference. For queries, please email or call Ms. Lara de Jesus at staff@cmfr-phil.org, tel (632) 894-1314, (632) 894-1326, (632) 840-0903, telefax (632) 840-0889 and/or Mr. Roby Alampay at roby@seapa.org, tel. +661-5501120. #

SC rules on govt's attempt at "prior restraint"

2008-02-21T06:15:00.000+08:00

CMFR/Philippines—The Supreme Court (SC) has ruled that threatening statements from the Justice secretary and the National Telecommunications Commission warning media not to air a wiretapped conversation between President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and an elections commissioner constituted "impermissible forms of prior restraints on the right to free speech and press."

The 38-page decision, written by SC Chief Justice Reynato Puno on 15 February 2008, "nullif(ied) the official statements made by respondents on June 8, and 11, 2005 warning the media on airing the alleged wiretapped conversation between the President and other personalities, for constituting unconstitutional prior restraint on the exercise of freedom of speech and of the press."

"Issues revolving on their construct must be decided on a case to case basis, always based on the peculiar shapes and shadows of each case. But in cases where the challenged acts are patent invasions of a constitutionally protected right, we should be swift in striking them down as nullities per se. A blow too soon struck for press freedom is preferred than a blow too late," the decision said.

On 2005, allegedly wiretapped mobile phone conversations between Arroyo and former Commission on Elections Commissioner Virgilo Garcillano were circulated in the Internet and through CDs. The conversations, which discussed the alleged rigging of the 2004 presidential elections in favor of Arroyo, also involved the alleged voices of other high-ranking government officials. The wiretapped conversations were then known as the "Hello, Garci tapes," in reference to Arroyo's initial address to Garcillano at the beginning of the conversation.

Shortly after the tapes were circulated, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez warned reporters that they could be held liable under the Anti-Wiretapping Act if they are found in possession of the tapes or if they air its contents. Gonzalez said that anybody in possession of the tapes could be arrested. Gonzalez also ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to investigate media organizations believed to have distributed, played, or printed the contents of the tapes.

The National Telecommunications Commission, the government body tasked to regulate the airwaves subsequently issued a press release which stated that "NTC gives fair warning to radio and television owners/operators to observe the anti-wiretapping law and pertinent circulars on program standards."

Lawyer Francisco Chavez, former solicitor general, filed a suit asking the court to issue a temporary restraining order to prohibit Gonzalez and the NTC from further making similar statements and orders that may infringe on the public's right to know.

The decision by the High Tribunal also said that "the Court should not be misinterpreted as devaluing violations of law. By all means, violations of law should be vigorously prosecuted by the State for they breed their own evil consequence."

The SC however said that "the need to prevent their violation cannot per se trump the exercise of free speech and free press, a preferred right whose breach can lead to greater evils."

"For this failure of the respondents alone to offer proof to satisfy the clear and present danger test, the Court has no option but to uphold the exercise of free speech and free press. There is no showing that the feared violation of the anti-wiretappping law clearly endangers the security of the state," the decision stated.

The decision also closely examined the law on freedom of speech, of expression and of the press, as well as content-neutral and content-based regulations.

Chief presidential legal counsel Sergio Apostol downplayed the landmark resolution and said that the decision by the Supreme Court, also known as the court of last resort, was not yet final. #

Pope speaks out for women

2008-02-18T06:47:00.000+08:00

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 17, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Christians have the responsibility of building a culture that recognizes women's dignity, says the director of the Vatican press office.Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi affirmed this in a recent episode of the Vatican Television program "Octava Dies."

"Thank you, every woman, for the simple fact of being a woman! Through the insight which is so much a part of your womanhood you enrich the world's understanding and help to make human relations more honest and authentic," Father Lombardi said, citing what he called the "passionate declaration of gratitude," indeed, "of love, for every woman" formulated by Pope John Paul II in his 1995 "Letter to Women."

"It is right to take up these pages again together with [John Paul II's] letter on the 'Dignity and the Vocation of Women' of 1988, whose 20th anniversary is this year," Father Lombardi affirmed. "It, too, is an original and intense document, not so much a treatise as a 'meditation,' as the Pope himself said; it is a re-reading of the feminine in the Bible,' as a commentator acutely defined it."

The Vatican spokesman explained that Benedict XVI, speaking to a recent conference on the theme "Woman and Man: The 'Humanum' in its Entirety," pointed out the evident relevance of this topic.

The Holy Father said that the "man-woman relationship in its respective specificities, reciprocities and complementarities, without a doubt, constitutes a central point of the 'anthropological question' that is so decisive in contemporary culture," Father Lombardi noted.

"The Pope observes that when men and women pretend to be autonomous and totally self-sufficient, they risk closing themselves up in a self-realization that in fact 'reduces them to an oppressive solitude,'" he said.

Father Lombardi called for reflection so that "'the new advances of science and the datum of contemporary cultural sensibilities' continue to integrate in the perspective of Gods' design, who created the human being male and female."

"Against the masculinist mentality, Christians must promote a culture that recognizes in law and in reality the dignity that belongs to women, that allows them to cooperate in the building of a society that values that which John Paul II loved to call 'the typical feminine genius,'" the spokesman concluded. "This task is still always before us, in the Church and in the world."#

Dumb & Dumber: Are Filipinos in danger of following the American trend?

2008-02-17T14:17:00.003+08:00

Please read the article in the New York Times on the US Educational system. I sometimes fear that the lack of a strong humanities and history foundation will lead Filipino students along the same path. What do you think?

UNIV 2008

2008-02-16T23:56:00.001+08:00

My J102 students and I attended the UNIV 2008 National Conference last Saturday at the Tanglaw University Center. the eight student-finalists presented their research papers on this year's theme: "Being, Appearing and Communicating: Entertainment and Happiness in the Multi-media Society."

For me, the best paper was the one that presented a content analysis on blogs by terminally-ill cancer patients. It showed that happiness is compatible with suffering. The other papers were too similar in nature, even as most of them concluded with something we already know, i.e. that traditional relationships still lead us to more happiness than digital ones.

The keynote speaker was Edwin Lopez, marketing manager for EWTN Cable network, who gave a very good talk about success and happiness. Of his many quotable quotes, the one I find most memorable is his commentary on love....marriages don't last anymore because couples say to one another, "I will love you until it hurts.." so when the going gets tough, the marriage falls apart. True love (and consequently, true happiness) is found when couples say to one another, "I will love you even if it hurts." (above: group photo of UNIV student participants, inset: Edwin Lopez of EWTN Asia)#

Why students shouldn't rely on "spell check"

2008-02-15T01:23:00.000+08:00

I halve a spelling checker, It came with my pea see. It plainly marks four my revue Mistakes I dew knot sea. Eye strike a key and type a word And weight four it two say Weather eye am wrong oar write It shows me strait aweigh. As soon as a mist ache is maid It nose bee fore two long And eye can put the era rite Its rarely ever wrong. I've scent this massage threw it, And I'm shore your pleased too no Its letter prefect in every weigh; My checker tolled me sew.#

Filipinos are hopeless romantics

2008-02-14T02:03:00.005+08:00

According to the Social Weather Station, forty percent of adult Filipinos, or about 21 million, believe in Cupid, according to the Fourth Quarter 2007 Social Weather Survey, fielded over November 30-December 3, 2007.

The survey also found that over 4 out of 5 (85%) of those who believe in Cupid say they “have already been struck by his arrow.”

Belief in Cupid

The December 2007 survey specifically asked the respondents, “Naniniwala po ba kayo kay Kupido?” [Do you believe in Cupid?], referring to one of the gods in Roman mythology that has power over love.

Belief in Cupid is 49% in Visayas, 47% in Metro Manila, and 36% each in Balance Luzon and Mindanao. It is relatively higher among class E, with 46%, compared to class D, with 39%, and class ABC, with 36%.

Belief in Cupid is similar among men, with 40%, and women, with 41%. It is higher among those with at most some high school education (43%), some college education (41%), and at least a college degree (40%), compared to those with at most some elementary education (33%).

By civil status, half (51%) of those with live-in partners say they believe in Cupid, compared to 40% among those who are married and 37% among those who are single or never been married. About three out of five (62%) women with live-in partners believe in Cupid, compared to 42% of married women and 31% of women who are single or never been married.

Belief in Cupid hardly varies among men of different status. It is 43% both among men who are single or never been married and men with live-in partners, and 38% among married men.

Over 4 out of 5 say they have already been struck by Cupid’s arrow

Among those who believe in Cupid, over 4 out of 5 (85%) said yes to the question, “Masasabi po ba ninyo ng kayo ay napana na ni Kupido?” [Could you say that you have already been struck by Cupid’s arrow?]

The proportion of those “already struck by Cupid’s arrow” is higher in Balance Luzon (88%), the Visayas (85%), and Metro Manila (84%), compared to Mindanao (78%). Across the board, majority of those who believe in Cupid say they have already been struck by his arrow.

Survey Background

The Fourth Quarter of 2007 Social Weather Survey was conducted over November 30 – December 3, 2007 using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults divided into random samples of 300 each in Metro Manila, the Balance of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The area estimates were weighted by National Statistics Office medium-population projections for 2007 to obtain the national estimates.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S!!

Transcend, a Universitas Youth Conference

2008-02-10T00:16:00.000+08:00

I had such a busy week last week with two university fora to participate in. The first forum was for the "young once" and the second for the "young ones."

Thursday, February 7 the College hosted the Centennial lecture of Journalism Professor Emeritus Raul Ingles on his historical book on "1908." I had to give the closing remarks after the three-hour lecture on everything and anything that happenned in the 366 days of that significant year for the university. It was co-hosted by Pi Gamma Mu, so there were a lot of "venerables" in the audience.

On the other hand, last Saturday, February 9, I was a guest speaker for "Transcend: the Science and Art of Success," a leadership forum organized by the Universitas, a student organization based at the Kapuluan Study Center.

The forum, which was held at the School of Economics auditorium, is the fifth national student conference of the organization aimed at promoting value-based leadership among the youth. The forum had a long loine up of distingusihed guest speakers such as former Central Bank Governor Joey Cuisia, PDI's Sandy Prieto, Dr. Emerita Barrenechea of the Phil Society of Nuclear Medicine and former Executive Secretary Oscar Orbos. #

Arrest warrant for masterminds of Esperat murder issued

2008-02-08T02:12:00.000+08:00

CMFR/Philippines—A Regional Trial Court (RTC) judge in Cebu City, Cebu province issued arrest warrants on 4 February 2008 for the two alleged masterminds behind the killing of journalist Marlene Esperat. Cebu is a province approximately 562 km south of Manila.

Cebu City Regional Trial Court Branch 7 Judge Simeon Dumdum issued warrants of arrest to the Cotabato City police. Suspects Estrella Sabay and Osmeña Montaner, Department of Agriculture Region 12 office Finance Officer and Regional Accountant respectively, reside in Cotabato.

Esperat, who was a radio "blocktimer" and a columnist for the Sultan Kudarat paper The Midland Review, was killed in 2005. "Blocktimers" buy radio air time to run their own programs.

Esperat, also known as "Madame Witness," was also president of the Tri-Media Association in her provincial region due to her numerous media exposés. During her employment in the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region 12 from 1987 to 2004, she wrote about numerous cases of graft and corruption involving misuse of public funds intended for the use of farmers allegedly committed by public officials

Esperat was killed on 24 March 2005 while having supper together with her children in their house in Tacurong city, Sultan Kudarat province. The case was transferred from Tacurong to Cebu because of safety concerns for the witnesses and to assure a more neutral court.

Esperat had labeled Sabay and Montaner as "corrupt" DA officials.

Nena Santos, the private prosecutor for the prosecution, said that the issuance of the warrants was a "positive development."

"The prosecution will face a legal battle against the moneyed and influential accused, but we believe that at the end of the day, truth and justice will prevail," Santos added. The information gathered from the preliminary investigation of the case was filed at the Cebu City RTC on 1 February 2008.

"I have personally examined the complaint and their witness and on the basis of their sworn statements and other evidence presented before me there is reasonable ground to believe that the offense charged has been committed and the accused are probably guilty," wrote Geronimo Sy, the state prosecutor who conducted the preliminary investigation, on the information.

Through the assistance of the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists (FFFJ), Valmi Garcia Mariveles, sister of Esperat, filed a complaint at the Department of Justice (DOJ) on 13 September 2008 against alleged masterminds Montaner and Sabay. The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility is a founding member and serves as the secretariat of the FFFJ.

In her petition to the DOJ, Mariveles wrote that the reinstatement of the case against the masterminds would "help to dispel the mistaken notion that it is government's official policy to perpetuate a culture of impunity in the extrajudicial killing of journalists in our country."

On 6 October 2006, Randy Grecia, Gerry Cabayag and Estanislao Bismanos were convicted by Judge Eric Menchavez of Cebu City RTC (RTC) and sentenced to life imprisonment for the killing of Esperat. Rowie Barua, who was the coordinator for the alleged gunmen, turned into a state witness.

The case against Montaner and Sabay has been twice dismissed. Tacurong City RTC Judge Francis Palmones, who initially handled the case before the FFFJ petitioned for the case's transfer to Cebu, first dismissed the case against Sabay and Montaner without hearing, stating that the complaint has no probable cause. After the case against the alleged masterminds was filed again at Cebu, it was dismissed by Menchavez because of legal technicalities in the filing date.

Seventy journalists/media practitioners have been killed in the line of duty since 1986. No mastermind has ever been successfully prosecuted out of all the cases. #

i-blog once again

2008-02-02T10:02:00.000+08:00

iBlog4: The 4th Philippine Blogging Summit!
"Where blogging is a shared passion..."
What: Convention
Host: University of the Philippines - Internet Society Program (UP-ISP)
When: Saturday, April 26 at 9:00am
Where: Malcolm Theater, College of Law, UP Diliman

Here are the details, according to organizer Janette Toral:
Registration, which will reserve your seats, stuff and schwag, and get you into our announcements mailing list, is now open. Of course iBlog 4 is still FREE in the beer sense, as long as we can help it, free in the speech sense.

The program as follows:

9:00 - 9:20 Flag Ceremony, Welcome Remarks, Keynote

9:20 - 9:45 How to Blog (from a non-problogger point-of-view) - Charo Nuguid (http://personalitycheck.pinoyweb.net/)

You want to start a blog. You ask your problogger friend for help. The problem is he starts talking about keywords, SEO, and a few other things that you have totally no clue about. Google Ad-what? "I just want to start a blog!" If you're just looking for a way to post your thoughts on the web for posterity (and give your readers a few kicks every now and then) without the business talk, click here! (Or just walk through the door, sit down and listen!)

9:45 - 10:00 Sponsor Talk

10:00 - 10:30 Break

10:30 - 11:00 Student Blogging - Juan Karlo Licudine (http://www.pinoyblogero.com)
A perspective and experience sharing from a student / blogger.

11:00 - 11: 30 Photoblogging - Juned Sonido (http://www.baratillo.net)
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. And there have been instances that it really has. A couple kissing. Soldiers hoisting a flag in a battlefield. A child fleeing a village bombed with Napalm. Or even a man skipping a puddle. All are powerful images. As humans we have this drive to show pictures whether it be a holiday, a dinner, friends and family. And as such it comes to no surprise that a lot of people have been posting things on line from Facebook to Flickr. And then there are the photoblogs. What are photoblogs? Are they the same photo galleries? Do you really need a digital camera to set up a photoblog? How does one set-up a photoblog? Will it cost much? What are the basics? Well this discussion will try to answer that and more.

11:30 - 12:00 Blog to Print - Jonas Diego (http://www.jonasdiego.com)
Bringing your blog content to the printed page. Updates on what happened so far with Jonas initiative on blog comics.

12:00 - 1:00 Lunch

1:00 - 1:40 Vlog and Podcasting Prospects in the Philippines (Aileen Apolo - http://www.yougottech.com and Coy Caballes - http://www.thisiscoy.net)

1:45 - 2;45 Blogging and 2010 Elections Panel
(Janette Toral - http://philippineselection.blogspot.com)
- also invited Manuel L. Quezon III and Luz Rimban - to be confirmed

2:40 - 3:00 Sponsor Talk

3:00 - 3:30 Break

3:30 - 3:50 Blogging for Advocacy - Noemi Lardizabal Dado - http://www.filipinaimages.com

3:50 - 4:30 Blogging from the Countryside
Blogging case studies outside of Metro Manila

4:30 - 5:00 Closing Remarks / Group Picture / Raffle

This event is organized by the University of the Philippines - Internet Society Program.
We would like to thank Alfox Computer Center (http://www.alfoxcomputer.com/) for being our name badge sponsor. Parties interested to support this event can e-mail Janette at digitalfilipino@gmail.com #

Media files lawsuits against PNP, Malacanang

2008-01-28T02:55:00.000+08:00

CMFR/Philippines—Over a hundred journalists filed two separate suits on 28 January 2008 in a unified effort to halt government threats against the press as well as further arrests.

Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Executive Judge Winlove Dumayas granted a 72-hour temporary restraining order (TRO) barring the police, military, and other government offices, from issuing "threats of arrests or from implementing such threats" against the media.

The TRO was issued just two hours after 36 journalists and four media organizations including the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) filed a civil case before the Makati RTC asking for an injunction or TRO against police, military, and other government officials, and demanding Php 10 M ($245, 600) in damages. If the case prospers, the petitioners will put the amount in a trust fund for the defense and protection of press freedom.

The four media organizations in the class suit filed before the Makati RTC are the CMFR, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), and the Philippine Press Institute (PPI).

The Southeast Asian Press Alliance, of which CMFR and PCIJ are founding members, provided financial assistance for the filing fees.

"(C)onsidering the extreme urgency, and that great and irreparable injury would result to the Plaintiffs before the matter can be heard on notice, the (TRO) is hereby Granted," Dumayas said in his decision.

Another 81 journalists filed another case before the Supreme Court on the same day asking for a writ of prohibition and injunction to stop the Arroyo government from threatening, arresting, or imposing any form of prior restraint on the press.

Both suits, although filed before two separate courts, are part of coordinated efforts by the press in response to the wholesale arrest of over 30 journalists/media practitioners who covered the 29 November 2007 Manila Pen siege, and other similar forms of intimidation which followed the event. A joint press conference was conducted by the petitioners in both cases after the suits were filed.

After the Manila Pen arrests, Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno said in a 5 December 2007 dialogue between the government and media that the journalists were arrested for refusing to follow standard operating procedures of the police.

Puno said that journalists could be arrested again if they continued to refuse orders in covering similar events. On 11 January 2008, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez issued an advisory to the different media organizations warning them that they risk "criminal liabilities" if they disobey government orders "during emergencies." On 16 January 2008, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Avelino Razon told reporters that a journalist helped one of the rebels escape from the Manila Pen and that she could face charges of aiding and abetting a criminal as well as rebellion.

Seventy journalists/media practitioners have also been killed in the line of duty in the Philippines since democracy was restored in 1986. Of the 33 journalist killings that occurred during the present regime of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, only two have resulted in a conviction.

An anti-terror law with dangerous implications on press freedom was also signed by Ms. Arroyo into law on 6 March 2007. She also issued an executive order on 20 April 2007 which further restricts public access to information.

"These are uncertain times for the press. Unless we do something about it, the next crisis situation will see journalists again arrested or worse, and charged with abetting rebellion or some other such offense reminiscent of the martial law catch-all of subversion," CMFR deputy director Luis Teodoro said in a statement during the press conference.

"The plaintiffs emphasize that while two suits have been filed, the press community is one in condemning the campaign to silence the press," Teodoro said.

ABS-CBN news and current affairs head Maria Ressa, representing the group that filed the case at the Supreme court, read the group's statement saying "(o)ur objective is not just relief, but for the Supreme Court to help us correct the current situation where, we believe, press freedom is being constantly redefined and constrained." ABS-CBN is the largest media conglomerate in the Philippines. It is mainly engaged in TV and radio broadcasting.

"If our country is to remain the democracy we reclaimed in 1986, then, we, as journalists should be allowed to exercise our professions, reporting events as they happen, when they happen," Ressa said.

The respondents in the case now pending before the Makati RTC are Puno, Gonzalez, Razon, Department of Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, National Capital Region Police Office Chief Geary Barias, Chief Superintendent Luizo Ticman, PNP Special Action Force Director Leocadio Santiago, Jr., PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group head Asher Dolina, and Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief. Hermogenes Esperon.

The respondents in the Supreme Court case are almost the same except for Ticman and Santiago. The case also includes Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita among the respondents. #

Benedict XVI: Media Overstepping the Mark, Urges Communicators to Seek and Present Truth

2008-01-25T07:49:00.000+08:00

VATICAN CITY, JAN. 24, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Rather than reporting on reality, mass media sometimes create reality, thus wielding tremendous power over all dimensions of human life, Benedict XVI says.
The Pope affirmed this in a message released today for World Communications Day, to be celebrated May 4. The theme for this year's day is "The Media: At the Crossroads Between Self-Promotion and Service. Searching for the Truth in Order to Share It With Others."

"In view of their meteoric technological evolution, the media have acquired extraordinary potential, while raising new and hitherto unimaginable questions and problems," the Holy Father stressed in the message.

He acknowledged the contribution mass media make to the modern world, noting their role in the diffusion of news and information. The Pontiff affirmed that thanks to modern forms of communication, literacy and socialization have spread, and democracy and dialogue among peoples have developed.

"Indeed, the media, taken overall, are not only vehicles for spreading ideas: They can and should also be instruments at the service of a world of greater justice and solidarity," he affirmed.

Dictated agendas

But Benedict XVI also noted disturbing trends in the use of mass media: "Unfortunately, though, they risk being transformed into systems aimed at subjecting humanity to agendas dictated by the dominant interests of the day."

He explained: "This is what happens when communication is used for ideological purposes or for the aggressive advertising of consumer products. While claiming to represent reality, it can tend to legitimize or impose distorted models of personal, family or social life.

"Moreover, in order to attract listeners and increase the size of audiences, it does not hesitate at times to have recourse to vulgarity and violence, and to overstep the mark. The media can also present and support models of development which serve to increase rather than reduce the technological divide between rich and poor countries."

The Pope contended that a "radical shift" has occurred in the role of the means of communication.

"Today," he said, "communication seems increasingly to claim not simply to represent reality, but to determine it, owing to the power and the force of suggestion that it possesses. It is clear, for example, that in certain situations the media are used not for the proper purpose of disseminating information, but to 'create' events.

"Precisely because we are dealing with realities that have a profound effect on all those dimensions of human life -- moral, intellectual, religious, relational, affective, cultural -- in which the good of the person is at stake, we must stress that not everything that is technically possible is also ethically permissible. Hence, the impact of the communications media on modern life raises unavoidable questions, which require choices and solutions that can no longer be deferred."

Key challenge

The Holy Father said the role of social communications "must now be considered an integral part of the 'anthropological' question that is emerging as the key challenge of the third millennium."

He explained: "Just as we see happening in areas such as human life, marriage and the family, and in the great contemporary issues of peace, justice and protection of creation, so too in the sector of social communications there are essential dimensions of the human person and the truth concerning the human person coming into play.

"When communication loses its ethical underpinning and eludes society's control, it ends up no longer taking into account the centrality and inviolable dignity of the human person. As a result it risks exercising a negative influence on people's consciences and choices and definitively conditioning their freedom and their very lives.

"For this reason it is essential that social communications should assiduously defend the person and fully respect human dignity. Many people now think there is a need, in this sphere, for 'info-ethics,' just as we have bioethics in the field of medicine and in scientific research linked to life."

The Pope expressed his enthusiasm about the media's potential: "One might even say that seeking and presenting the truth about humanity constitutes the highest vocation of social communication. Utilizing for this purpose the many refined and engaging techniques that the media have at their disposal is an exciting task."

He concluded the message urging prayer to the Holy Spirit, that he may "raise up courageous communicators and authentic witnesses to the truth." #

Case against FG to be revived

2008-01-21T10:52:00.000+08:00

CMFR/Philippines—A motion, the second filed by Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, husband of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, to dismiss the class action suit filed against him by 40 journalists and three media organizations in response to his numerous libel suits has been denied by a Philippine court.

The journalists filed a P12.5 million ((US$276,600) class action suit against Mr. Arroyo on 28 December 2006 accusing him of abuse of right when he filed 11 libel suits against 46 journalists, Libel is a criminal offense in the Philippines. The case was filed at the Makati Regional Trial Court.

After surviving heart surgery, Mr. Arroyo announced through the presidential spokesman on press freedom day, 3 May 2007, that he would withdraw all the libel cases he had filed against journalists. But the journalists who filed the class suit chose to continue the suit,so as to resolve the case on its merits and establish clear legal parameters on libel.

Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 143 Judge Zenaida Laguilles, in a decision signed on 19 December 2007 but released only in January 2008, junked Mr. Arroyo's motion to dismiss the case on "ground(s) of liberality."

"This is a victory for our side. Now the case is moving," Harry Roque, lawyer of the journalists in the case, said.

Arroyo filed the second motion to dismiss the class suit on the ground that the journalists were not cooperating with the case as they have filed a motion against Arroyo's motion to make them answer a questionnaire and to bring to court the articles they wrote about Arroyo. Laguilles however dismissed the motion by the journalists so they will now have to comply.

Mr. Arroyo's first motion to dismiss the case, which was earlier denied by Laguilles, argued that the journalists have no cause of action, since not all of them had been sued by Mr. Arroyo, and that they had paid insufficient docket fees. #

Human Rights Reporting Project

2008-01-19T23:20:00.000+08:00

Last Friday, the Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) launched its "Human Rights Reporting Project" for the Philippines in a round table discussion in UP Balay Kalinaw.

The discussion, which was not in a round table, was led by my friend Red Batario of the Center for Community Journalism and Development; Inday Varona, editor in chief of Philippine Graphic and NUJP officer; Mrs Edita Burgos, journalist and mom of missing of Jonas Burgos; CHR chair Purisima Quisumbing and of course, IWPR director Alan Davis.

The talks highlighted the need for a more proactive media in terms of human rights reporting. Rarely does human rights issues hit the headline, and when it does, it is often because the situation had already escalated. Indeed, there is a need for media to tackle issues affecting human rights, especially the most basic: food and housing. (see related news item, here)#

Call for submissions for 100 Kwentong Peyups

2008-01-13T23:27:00.000+08:00

As part of UP's 100th year celebration, panitikan.com.ph are putting together '100 Kwentong Peyups', a series of columns which will appear in PDI and Philippine Star throughout the year. All UP alumni (from any of the University of the Philippines' units) are invited to submit their stories. Submissions should:
1. Be a maximum of 1,000 words
2. Be a personal experience and written in the 1st person
3. Emotionally engaging---funny, sad, scary, etc.
4. Make the connection between the story and a life lesson that serves you well today
5. If possible, please include an old photo/scanned memento

Please include your name, College or Unit and Course, and year you entered UP as well as your email address. If you remember your Student Number, even better.

Send your submissions to: 100kwentongpeyups@campaignsandgrey.net. You will be notified via email if your story has been selected for publication or for use in other Centennial celebrations.

Submissions will be accepted starting January 1, 2008.#

Suspects nabbed in killing of Aklan journalist

2008-01-12T12:03:00.000+08:00

CMFR/Philippines—Two suspects in the killing of a broadcast journalist were arraigned on 10 January 2008, more than half a decade after the murder.

Rolando Ureta, then 30, was killed on his way home onboard his motorcycle in Lezo, Aklan after his evening news broadcast on 3 January 2001 when an assassin riding pillion on a motorcycle shot him three times. The program director of radio dyKR in Aklan, Ureta was reporting on illegal gambling, illegal drugs, and corruption at the time he was killed. He is survived by his wife Emely, and their now eight-year old son.

Jessie Ticar and co-accused Amador Raz both pleaded not guilty to charges of murder before Judge Marietta Homena-Valencia of the Kalibo Regional Trial Court in Aklan on 10 January 2007. Aklan is a province approximately 345 km south of Manila.

The arraignment of the Ticar and Raz had been stopped twice after defense lawyer Joan Ibutnande asked for the court to await the decision of the Department of Justice (DoJ) on their motion for reconsideration (MR). After a 16 January 2007 DoJ resolution ordered the reopening of the case, the defense filed an MR on 5 February 2007 asking for another dismissal.

The defense motion was denied by the DoJ on 4 January 2008.

During the arraignment, Senior State Prosecutor Leo Dacera complained that the suspects Raz and Ticar were not handcuffed, contrary to a Supreme Court memorandum mandating that "(w)hile in a court's premises, detention prisoners shall always be handcuffed unless the presiding judge directs otherwise."

When asked by Valencia why the prisoners were not handcuffed, Teddy Esto, an officer from the Aklan Provincial Jail, said that the prisoners are "inside the court anyway."

The case has literally crawled through a series of legal hurdles for six years after finally having any significant movement. The case had been dismissed twice by prosecutor Apolinar Barrios before being reopened by the DoJ on 16 January 2007, or more than six years after Ureta's killing. Barrios first dismissed the case on 6 December 2004, and then again on February 2005, or a month after Ureta's widow Emely filed on 4 January 2005 a motion for reconsideration which contained the affidavits of additional witnesses.

Seventy journalists/media practitioners have been killed in the line of duty since 1986. Thirty-three out of the 70 were killed during the present administration of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, which started in 2001. There are only two cases among the 33 which have resulted in convictions for the gunmen. No mastermind has ever been prosecuted.

A weak justice system in which even normal court processes are ignored has been blamed for the continuing killing of journalists. In one case—that of Herson Hinolan, another broadcast journalist who was killed on 15 November 2004 in Aklan,—the police have yet to arrest the suspect, who is the alleged gunman and mastermind, despite an arrest warrant issued in 2006.#