Daughter of murdered Filipino journalist gets scholarship

CHICAGO – “I will do all of my best just to fulfill my dreams and follow my father’s footsteps." Julia Mae Reblando is only 14 years old but she already knows what she wants to do in life — to step into the big shoes of her father, Alejandro “Bong" Reblando, a staff member of the Manila Bulletin, a Philippine daily newspaper. In her father's footsteps Julia Mae is a junior high school student of Holy Trinity College in General Santos City. She will be missing her class in the next two weeks to prepare for her travel to Chicago, Illinois, where she will receive a $1,000 scholarship from Chicago Journalists Association (CJA). The awarding of the scholarship will be done during the CJA's 71st annual dinner at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza on October 1. CJA President Allen Rafalson chose a non-American to receive the scholarship award for the first time this year. Rafalson said, “She (Julia Mae) has a burning desire to be a journalist this early." In her personal statement about the award, Julia Mae said, “I choose journalism not just because I want to follow my father’s footsteps but also because I want to show the people how much I really care of everybody most especially my fellow countrymen, the Filipinos." Maguindanao Massacre Bong was one of the 30 journalists slain in line of duty in what became known as "Maguindanao Massacre," the biggest mass murder of journalists the world has ever known. The Maguindanao Massacre, also known as the "Ampatuan Massacre" after the town where the mass graves were found, occurred on November 23, 2009. The victims were on their way to file the certificate for candidacy of Esmael Mangudadatu, who was running for governor against the scion of a well-known political clan in the May 2010 elections. Mangudadatu, then vice-mayor of Buluan town, was challenging Andal Ampatuan Jr., mayor of Datu Unsay town and son of then Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan, Sr. The 57 people killed included Mangudadatu's wife, his two sisters, journalists, lawyers, aides, and motorists who were witnesses or were mistakenly identified as part of the convoy. Expression of solidarity CJA Charitable Fund President Karen Petitte said, “For the first time in our history, we have extended this annual scholarship to a non-American to dramatize our organization’s sympathy and solidarity with journalists and their families who were victims of this shocking event." Julia Mae will be accompanied by her mother, Myrna P. Reblando, in her trip to Chicago, courtesy of the Philippine Airlines. The CJA sought the help of this writer, a Chicago-based National Press Club Phil-USA in looking for prospective scholarship applicants from among families of the massacred journalists. She will join two Asian American journalists, TV reporters Euna Lee and Laura Ling, who will receive the Daniel Pearl Awards. The two were arrested in March 2009 along the North Korea-Chinese border while investigating the trafficking of North Korean women. Both were sentenced to 12 years in a labor camp but released in August of the same year after a visit to Pyongyang by former US President Bill Clinton. Best of the best Twelve Chicago-area journalists are to receive Sarah Brown Boyden awards for their work in different categories. One of them will be recipient of the $1,000 "Best of Best" award. Three other distinguished journalists will also be honored. They are: Chicago Reader columnist Ben Joravsky (Chicago Journalist of the Year) and former City News Bureau chief Paul Zimbrakos (Lifetime Achievement). Joravsky is known for his outstanding political reporting, while Zimbrakos has had a great impact on journalists' careers during a period spanning a half-century. The previous recipients of the prestigious Pearl award include: * Liz Sly, Chicago Tribune; * Wolf Blitzer, CNN; * Michael Weisskoff, Time Magazine; * Martha Raddatz, ABC Worldwide News; * Jill Carroll, the Christian Science Monitor; * Paul Salopek, Chicago Tribune; * Alan Johnston, BBC Worldwide, and * Georgie Anne Geyer, Universal Press Syndicate. –VVP, GMANews.TV