For GMA News team in Haiti, a fear of the mob

Nearly a month after the earthquake that killed an estimated 150,000 people, terrifying aftershocks have forced GMA Network’s news team in Haiti to sleep in tents and away from the standing hotels that could have provided a semblance of creature comforts, like working toilets and wifi. “Nakakatakot kasi baka gumuho kapag lumindol ulit," said GMA News reporter Jiggy Manicad via email. “Natutulog kami kung saan pwede at pwedeng magset up ng equipment (videophone, dng) - sa military camp, sa tent, sa sasakyan, wherever possible." (“We were afraid it [a hotel] would collapse if another earthquake struck. We slept wherever we could and wherever we could set up our equipment – in a military camp, in tents, in our vehicle…")
For more news videos, visit GMANews.TV But getting trapped in the rubble like scores of others was not even their biggest worry. Manicad said just carrying around fuel and food supplies put them in danger. “Gutom ang mga haitians, at pag nakakita sila ng pagkain or tubig, pwedeng ito yung pagsimulan ng gulo sa coverage," he said. (“The Haitians are hungry, so if they see you with food or water, that can be the start of trouble.") The chaos in the devastated capital of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas has led to looting, rioting, and a spike in crime. Manicad said that the head of the Filipino peacekeepers in Haiti, Lt. Col. Lope Dagoy, assigned two military escorts to guard GMA News’ four-man team. Aside from Manicad, the team includes cameraman Bodgie Sonza and engineers Allan Gutierrez and Eric Mercado. GMA Network was the only Philippines-based media organization that sent a team to cover the aftermath of Haiti’s earthquake. Manicad reports that 80 percent of the capital has been destroyed. “Yung death and suffering dito is unimaginable," he said. “Kahit sanay ako sa crime reporting, ang hindi ko pa rin maintindihan kung bakit kailangan nila itrato na parang basura yung mga relatives nila. Sinunog then kinukuha lang ng mga basurero. walang system ang govt kung paano ihahandle yung crisis, at yung ibang victims." (“The death and suffering are unimaginable. I’m used to crime reporting, but I still cannot understand why they treat their loved ones like garbage. They burn the bodies which are picked up by garbagemen. The government has no system to handle this crisis and the victims.") Joining hundreds of other news teams in Haiti, but mostly from the Western hemisphere, Manicad’s team accompanied a Philippine emergency medical team nearly two weeks ago on a roundabout journey to this island country considered the poorest nation in the Americas.

Flying to the Dominican Republic from Miami, Florida, the group had to drive overland for several bumpy hours to reach Haiti. Landing rights at Port-au-Prince’s airport were reserved mostly for relief flights. Among other stories, the GMA team has filed reports on the work of the Philippine medical team, the bodies still lining the streets, the search for survivors, and the grief and suffering of Haitians. Four Filipinos have been confirmed dead, including three UN peacekeepers, while hopes are dwindling that two Filipino civilians trapped in a collapsed supermarket, Grace Fabian and Maggie Lalican, will be found alive. The media have struggled with some of the same logistical problems that relief agencies face: lack of power and security. Manicad’s team brought a generator and their own videophone equipment that enabled them to report live. They sent footage over the Internet. Manicad had previously reported from Baghdad and Mount Everest, among other special assignments. Despite the expense and risks of sending a team to Haiti, GMA Network’s assistant vice president for news Grace dela Peña-Reyes said “we really felt we had to be there." “It’s the biggest story in the world," she said. – Howie Severino, GMANews.TV