Negros journalists are calling on the Armed Forces of the Philippines, particularly the Central Command and Chief of Staff Gen. Generoso Senga, to remove the name of the DYEZ Aksyon Radyo Bacolod news director from its order of battle and assure his safety and the unhampered practice of his profession.

Article 3, the alliance of Negros journalists from the Negros Press Club, Congress of Active Media Practitioners, Correspondents, Broadcasters and Reporters Association-Active News Service, and the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines-Negros, was reacting to the inclusion of the name of Julius Mariveles in a list of "top (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army) leaders" drawn up by the AFP Central Command.

Mariveles, an Article 3 convenor, is also secretary general of the COBRA-ANS, and an officer of the CAMP and the Negros Media Council for Press Freedom.

Mariveles yesterday also called on the AFP to strike his name off its Central Command Order of Battle for the first semester of 2005 because he has never been secretary general of the partylist Bayan Muna as it claimed.

Mariveles said what he was secretary general of was the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, or Bayan-Negros.

But he pointed out that since 2003 he has been a journalist, employed by Aksyon Radyo-Bacolod of the Manila Broadcasting Company as news director.

"It is queer that despite the numerous interviews I have conducted with Army officials themselves, their intel report last year has never been updated. I could only hope that this is clear case of oversight or failure to update." He said.

He said it was impossible for him to be with Bayan and working for Aksyon Radyo at the same time. He said he is aware that it is unethical to be a working journalist and an official at the same time of a political party.

Article 3, in its statement, demanded that the intelligence services of both the military and police rigorously review their "orders of battle" to prevent such a recurrence and consult the media about the veracity of their accusations against journalists.

The list, first reported by Manila dailies and of which Article 3 has obtained a copy, is dated the first semester of 2005 and identifies Mariveles as secretary general of the party-list group Bayan Muna on Negros and among the purported leaders of the revolutionary movement in Negros.

Article 3 said it has reason to believe the continued inclusion of Mariveles' name on the list is more than a case of mere oversight.

Given the continued threats against press freedom from the Arroyo administration, we worry that the inclusion of Mariveles in the list constitutes a continuing clear and present danger to his life, Article 3 said. *CPG

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