Media groups hit abduction of professor, TV crew in Sulu

MANILA, Philippines - Two media groups on Tuesday condemned the abduction of the group of broadcast journalist Cecilia Victoria Oreña-Drilon in Sulu, even as they called on the government to exert every effort for the victims' safe release. In separate statements, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) extended their “deep" and “grave" concern for Drilon, cameramen Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama, and host-guide professor Octavio Dinampo, who all went missing on Sunday. The NUJP said that there was nothing in it for the abductors, reportedly members of bandit group Abu Sayyaf, but just an additional burden of “condemnation (placed) on their heads." “Whatever the abductors stand for, whatever their goals are, there is absolutely no justification for seizing journalists whose sole concern is to seek out the truth and present this as accurately as possible," said NUJP chair Jose Torres Jr. For its part, the IFJ Asia-Pacific not only hailed the media team for pushing with its story despite the danger in the area but also stressed that the incident has only reaffirmed the notion that journalism is a risky profession if practiced in the country. "The fears held for the ABS-CBN crew are a stark reminder that journalism in the Philippines has not ceased to be an incredibly dangerous profession and we honor those journalists who work for press freedom under such difficult circumstances," the group said. A well-known activist and peace advocate, Dinampo is a professor at the Mindanao State University and reportedly offered to assist Drilon’s team in the latter’s coverage in Mindanao. Both concerned groups urged the government to exhaust every measure to expedite the team’s safe return. They also asked media outfits to ensure that their reporters are well-equipped and trained in covering delicate and perilous situations. "Media owners must ensure that adequate preparations and safety measures are provided for all journalists and media workers who report from especially dangerous regions in the Philippines," said the IFJ, which represents over 600,000 journalists in 120 countries. "It is time Philippine media owners soberly assess the situation and take steps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our colleagues oftentimes caught in the line of fire just to get the news out," added the NUJP. The NUJP also requested fellow media practitioners to exercise caution and “sobriety" in reporting the incident, saying the last thing they wanted to happen was to aggravate the situation. "Many silently bear the scars and traumas of their coverage, with hardly any support from those who profit from their toil," it said. - GMANews.TV