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February 27, 2012
PRESS STATEMENT
Reference:
Pauline Gidget EstellaNational Deputy Secretary
General0906.935.7722
Terrorizing the campus pressOn the harassment of and military
surveillance on CEGP officers
Time and again we have been the subject of repression not only
in our respectivecampuses but outside as well. Throughout our
history, the College Editors Guild of thePhilippines, true to its
advocacy and its orientation as patriotic and democratic alliance
oftertiary publications, has always been at the fore front of the
battle and with this, the pricewe get is threats to our lives.
Young as we are, we are devoting our talents and skills to serve
the underprivilegedand the voiceless, defending press freedom and
democracy in the process, and like themainstream press, we too are
threatened for speaking the truth and serving the people.
Notsurprisingly, the peril comes from the state forces who
consistently label every progressiveorganization such as CEGP as
its enemy.
In a country where most in power use fascism to suppress freedom
of expression and
where the culture of impunity is prevalent, the College Editors
Guild of the Philippinescondemns the surveillance and harassment of
the alleged military forces to Pauline GidgetEstella (CEGP National
Deputy Secretary General), Angelo Karl Doceo (chairperson of
CEGPSamar Island), Micah Susana Rubenecia (secretary-general of
CEGP Samar Island Chapter
and editor of The Pillar, official student publication of
University of Eastern Philippines) andDarrel Tibre (staff writer of
The Pillar).Surveillance and trailing
Estella and her companions have been trailed by suspected
military elements sincetheir arrival in Catarman to attend the
Samar-wide CEGP convention from February 23 to 26at the University
of Eastern Philippines. At around 8 PM on February 26, the last day
of theconvention, a suspected intelligence personnel approached
them at the terminal, askingwhere they are going, if they are going
to University of Eastern Philippines or Brgy. JoseAbad Santos. One
of the speakers in the convention, who is a member of Kilusang
MayoUno, lives in Brgy. Jose Abad Santos.
College Editors Guild of
the [email protected]
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The suspected intelligence personnel said he was lost and asked
them if hecould come with them until they have reached their
destination. They told him toask for directions from the barangay
tanod and started walking away from the terminal. Theman shouted
after them and demanded to know their destination.
They walked briskly toward the house of one of the staffers of
The Pillar, who livesnear the terminal and refused to be named for
security reasons. A tricycle driver and histwo passengers were
staring at them as they walked. Several pedicab drivers
were following them as well and aggressively asking them to take
a ride.
While they were inside the house, the staff member went outside
to purchasecellphone load. He said he saw a man on a scooter near
their house. The man was having aconversation over the phone. The
staff member said he stayed at the store for 15 minutes.When he was
walking back to his house, the man was still waiting at the
samespot and staring at him.
At the same time, Doceos friend called him using a different
number and askingwhether or not he was at Farmers Hotel, the venue
for the convention. Doceo asked herwhy she was asking but she
refused to answer.
About an hour later, another person parked his scooter beside
the house and stayedthere for at least 20 minutes. Why would
someone park his scooter in an unlikely place andan unlikely time?
The staff member then saw a group of men riding scooters near the
house.Maupay. Hain si Micah? Kay an gamit nya nga nabayaan (Tao po.
Nasaan po si Micah? Kasiyung gamit nyang naiwan), said one of them
to the people who live in the house besidethe staff members
residence. After a while, he heard another one say, Basta
buwashanapon ta hanapin sila. Magpreparare (Basta bukas nang hapon
hanapin sila.Magprepare).
It seems that the intelligence had failed to pinpoint the right
house, but itwas almost correct because they inquired at the
adjacent residence. What wouldhave happened if they were accurate
enough?
It appears to be very timely that these men have followed the
CEGP officersafter the Samar-wide convention, in which the
discussions featured progressiveand critical analysis of national
issues.
Estella and her companions opted to stay inside the house until
6 AM. They left thehouse in a private vehicle and went to the
airport for her scheduled flight.
All night, National Union of Journalists of the Philippines
(NUJP) and Pinoy Weeklymonitored their status, wherein NUJP-Samar
accompanied Estella and the others to theprovincial airport to
ensure their safety, risking their lives in the process as
well.
Human Rights advocate KARAPATAN, student publication Philippine
Collegian of UP-Diliman, workers union All-UP Academic Employees
Union, media watchdog Center forMedia Freedom and Responsibility
(CMFR) and other concerned organizations, also extendedtheir help
by sending SMS and posting their support through social networks
like Facebookand Twitter.
State fascism
CEGP condemns the lame government of Aquino for failing to
acknowledge andaddress the involvement of military officials in
media violence. Aquino administration should
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put an end to its desperate attempt of protecting its own
personal interest, instead thisgovernment must start delivering
justice to all that have been abducted and killed.
The military, as defined by the constitution, is an organization
with the authorizationof the greater society allowed to use lethal
force, including weaponry, in defense of thecountry by contesting
actual or perceived threats. They are designed to protect the
peopleand the state and ensure their safety. Ironically, the
military has always been the primarysuspect of human rights
violations across the country, and early this January, students
fromUniversity of the Philippines who were conducting academic
field work experienced acts of
fascism in Pampanga and Batangas.
The acts of harassment and surveillance on Estella and her
companions onlyshow that the military does not distinguish between
civilians and members of thearmed rebel movement. It shows that
even student journalists have become targets ofneutralization in
the governments counterinsurgency scheme. In fact, Doceo
andRubenecia have reported that they took possession of an Order of
Battle file inSamar. The Order of Battle is a military document in
which people who are targetsfor neutralization are listed. Doceo,
Rubenecia and other members of thepublication were included in the
list.
Philippines is haunted for its culture of impunity and
lawlessness. Noting the
circumstances of the past where 64 victims of extrajudicial
killings and 9 enforceddisappearances with strong military
evidences has been recorded since June 2010 toOctober 2011, and
where 182 journalist were killed since 1986, of which 123 were
killed inline of duty, only 10 cases resulted in conviction but no
master mind brought to justice,excluding the Maguindanao
Massacre.
We will not be cowed by these fascist attacks by the state to
intimidate us and sowfear among our ranks. We are no strangers to
this psy-war (psychological warfare)designed after the Oplan
Bayanihan which is nothing new from its original name OplanBantay
Laya aimed to attack progressive organizations.
These recent attacks on campus journalists show that the Aquino
administration is
insincere in ending the culture of impunity. Clearly, his
administration is onlyposturing as an administration that
prioritizes human rights because it tolerates,invites and
perpetrates harassment and killings of journalists and
cause-orientedgroups.
With our pens held up-high, once more we will move forward for
this countrys future.And we will not back down.
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