This was the emotional words of ABS CBN Ces Drilon-Orena hours after she was emancipated from a 9 day breath-taking encarceration from the notorious Abu Sayyaf. Ces, a veteran broadcast journalist who has been at the focal point of many and unfolding news stories, frequently under extreme circumstances found herself in the unpopular position of being in the news herself while they were on their way to interview a top commander of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group.
LESSONS SHOULD HAVE BEEN LEARNED
Ces is the third local journalist abducted by the ASG, the first being another ABS-CBN staff who were paid up for a few millions during the Sipadan crunch and Inquirer reporter Arlyn dela Cruz. Vice President Noli de Castro and his team of media people were almost seized captives by the ASG when they called on the campsite when he was still a broadcaster. In this day of tight TV network competition between ABS-CBN and GMA7, media personalities seemed to come hell and water for stories . In spite of the fact that the country has the disgraceful reputation of having the fifth-highest number of journalists killed and high incidence of kidnapping, media take these risks as part of their job and responsibility for these networks and consequences have to be accepted even if unpleasant. With the “NO RANSOM POLICY” of both government and TV stations , media men going to bandit territory found themselves bearding the lions in their own den. Sad part is, journalists today give much attention to these outlaws by making interviews, news, and documentaries in pursuit of shining the light of exposure in broadcasting. These seemed to justify and spotlight the banditry of these terrorists instead of a help to wipe them out and put an end to all their ill doings. Media men without adequate training on international war correspondence are sent to Sulu and Basilan as baptism of fire. When was Press freedom gone so free, irresponsible and careless like this?
Media should get off and pay no attention to this terrorists because all they do is terrify and create panic to the public , and thats not what the people want. Its their destruction and total eradication that interest us most. We easily fail to recall—or don’t reflect about until tragedy and misfortune wallops. Even the dog in the streets know how dangerous and treacherous to confront these people. Media should draw the line and set boundaries for themselves with regards to covering of stories. Entering the den of these radicals is just like crossing the Rubicon or facing your own demon.
1 comment:
In the mids of all this trials and thanks giving ces has been expressing she never made mention where her husband the father of her children was in all this. is she separated? is she married? and can she honestly say that those abu sayaf kidnapers where decent enough not to rape her or even abuse her. The Truth is worth your second life. Caroline Cañares- Cebu
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