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4 massacred UNTV reporters laid to rest in P'que, GenSan


Four members of the UNTV news crew who were among the victims of the massacre in Maguindanao province last November 23 were laid to rest in Metro Manila and Mindanao Sunday afternoon. The remains of UNTV driver Daniel Tiamson were buried at the Loyola Memorial Park in Parañaque City as his family and sympathizers continued to press the Arroyo administration for justice. Tiamson’s widow, Editha, said the government should do all it can to give justice to the 57 victims of the grisly massacre allegedly perpetrated by the powerful and Arroyo-allied Ampatuan clan. “Isa lang ang hiling ko sa ating pamahalaan. Sana huwag ninyo tutulugan ang hustisya sa lahat ng media na nabaon sa hukay kung saan nakita ang aking asawa (I have only one request to government: Do not fall asleep on the job in giving justice to the victims of this massacre)," she said. White shirts, black ribbons Those who were present at the Loyola Memorial Park chanted “Katarungan (Justice)!" for Tiamson and his three colleagues during the burial. Most of them were wearing white shirts with black ribbons. A UNTV report claimed some 1,477 vehicles took part in the funeral convoy to the Loyola Memorial Park. The convoy arrived at the memorial park at 3:48 p.m. The coffin bearing Tiamson’s remains were lowered to the ground at 5 p.m. UNTV station manager Jose “Jay" Sonza narrated how Tiamson was trying to contact UNTV headquarters at 10:03 a.m. of November 23 while the massacre was going on. “Three minutes after 10 a.m., Daniel tried to contact UNTV. That was the last communication we received from Daniel Tiamson. He tried to get in touch with us to tell us what was going on ... Minarapat pa rin nya magbalita (Despite what was happening, relaying the news was still on his mind)," Sonza recalled. Quest for justice In General Santos City, a similar call for justice came from relatives and sympathizers of the three other UNTV crew members who were buried there: cameraman Mark Gilbert Mac-Mac Arriola; video editor Jolito Evardo, and reporter Victor Nuñez. A UNTV report from General Santos City said Arriola’s three-month-old son cried loudly while his relatives read a message during the burial. UNTV chairman Daniel Razon said the burial of the four should not mean an end to the quest for justice. “Magpapahinga sila ngayon, subali't para sa ating mga naiwan hindi pa po ito ang katapusan ng ating pakikipaglaban. Huwag natin pabayaan na maisama sa hukay ng paglilibingan sa ating mga kapatid ang paghanap ng katarungan at pagpapatuloy ng pagsigaw ng katotohanan," Razon said. (Our colleagues will rest but this is not the end of our fight for justice. We will continue to fight and call for justice.) - KBK, GMANews.TV

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