Aquino urged to ‘spare’ media from hostage raps

Another media organization has appealed to the Aquino government to “spare" journalists in its quest for justice for the eight Hong Kong tourists who were killed during the August 23 hostage-taking incident in Manila. In a statement, the National Press Club (NPC) said holding the media liable for the incident would “only [bring] out bad impressions that the government is muzzling the press in the guise of punishing journalists." NPC issued the statement hours before President Benigno Aquino III said two radio personalities and three networks were among those who could be held liable for the hostage tragedy based on the recommendations of the inter-agency panel that looked into the incident. Aquino, at a press briefing in Malacañang, identified the two radio personalities as Erwin Tulfo and Michael Rogas, both from Radyo Mo Nationwide (RMN). He did not identify the three networks, but Justice secretary Leila de Lima, head of the investigating panel, said they were ABS-CBN, TV5 and GMA Network.

In its statement, the NPC cited the cases of Tulfo and Rogas, saying by no stretch of the imagination could it be proven that it was their interview of Rolando Mendoza, the hostage-taker, which caused the deaths of the hostages. “Tulfo and Rogas were even helping to cool down the hostage-taker," the NPC said, noting that it was the arrest of Mendoza’s brother, SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza, which sent him into a killing frenzy. The group also said the television stations that aired the arrest of Gregorio Mendoza should not also be held liable since the coverage was necessary in order to “deliver to the world" news of international significance. “There is no criminal law that punishes the act of interviewing a hostage-taker or any law which punishes the act of covering all incidents in a hostage crisis as these events unfold," the NPC pointed out. Others who were recommended to face criminal or administrative charges in connection with the hostage tragedy were: * Undersecretary Rico Puno of the Department of Interior and Local Government; * Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez; * Former Philippine National Police Chief Director General Jesus Verzosa; * Former Manila Police District (MPD) Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay; * National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Leocadio Santiago; * Manila City Mayor Alfredo Lim and Vice Mayor Isko Moreno; * Negotiator, Superintendent Orlando Yebra; * Manila Police Special Weapons and Tactics Unit head Chief Inspector Santiago Pascual Before the NPC, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) has also warned Aguino against holding the media liable for the hostage tragedy. - Larissa Mae Suarez/KBK, GMANews.TV