Media-police relationship

The noise raised by the Trillanes caper in Makati last week and the police arresting some 50 journalists brings into focus again the tenuous, love-hate or hate-hate relationship between the law enforcers and members of media.

Many have agreed with me that Negros journalists and the law enforcers have the best relationship.

Probably my adjective “best” may not be correct. But there is between the two a higher level of respect of each other in the performance of each other's duty and obligation.

And that is what counts best.

Media has lambasted individual policemen for their fault and even their perceived faults. But never have we taken to task the police organization. We have many good policemen.

* * *

Edgar Cadagat, the forefront fighter for media people against police repression and who was even been accused of being a communist and NPA sympathizer, told me when radio man Bambi Yngson was shot allegedly by an LTO employee, it was a policeman who helped Bambi so the assailant was not able to reload his shotgun.

And that it was Lt. Col. William Señoron who brought Bambi to a private hospital in Bacolod and provided security.

This was not given wide publicity. I did not know this had Edgar not told me.

* * *

We have scalawags in the police force. But they are very few. There are more good, duty-conscious, honest and dedicated policeman.

This is because we have good political leaders who know how to choose police officers to be assigned here.

This is also because Bacolod and Negros media people are better led by senior media members that have made local media worthy of respect. Sorry for the ego trip. But these are facts.

We have always been blowing our horn that, while in other provinces many media people are killed in the performance of their duty, here we have not known of a single mediaman killed in the practice of his profession except Celso Tan who was killed 40 years ago, May 7, 1967.

Bambi Yngson could have been the first. But we have policemen to thank for. Besides, many of his colleagues in the Press Club believed Bambi could not yet be accepted by St. Peter because of his many venial sins.

Venial sins are common to media people. Not mortal sins.

* * *

It is always better to have a dialog.

I recall one time, our two media people Annie Calderon and Bert Bayoran charged that the driver of PNP Provincial Director Charles Calima nearly sideswiped them. They suspected it was intentional.

Media filed complaints with PNP Chief General Arturo Lomibao.

Col. Calima came to the house personally twice to intercede for his driver. I like Charles Calima for doing that. He knew how to humble himself. Those are the traits of great lovers like Charles.

I told him that while he was defending his men, it would be very bad if I just fold my arms and do not take up the cudgels for media people like Annie and Bert. Let there be an investigation. Anyway, no one was hurt physically.

Media-police relationship is strengthened that way. A dialog, an open airing of a problem. I have always told police officers, do not threaten media people. Many of them have some death wish, willing to be media martyrs, and proclaimed media heroes.

* * *

Last Friday, after interviewing Rolly and Edgar on my program Feedback on media martyrs, I suggested to them we host a dialogue to be aired over Sunshine Channel between media leaders and leading law enforcers, police, Army, RMG, NBI, and CIDG.

I told Rolly to chair the media committee but he sounded hesitant because of some mobility problem. But Edgar volunteered to do the leg work.

The concept is media leaders, newspaper editors and broadcast managers sit on one side with the provincial commander, the Bacolod police chief, the NBI head, the RMG, and the CIDG on the other side.

* * *

The first phase is both sides speak out on the problems in dealing with each other. Then the second phase will be what are the best solutions for them.

This will be capped with setting up a committee coming from both sides that will address the problems.

I will see Edgar soonest and ask him to start working on the setup. Then we will announce when we will hold it. If we air it over television, all will see what were taken up.

* * *

We need a progressive province and city. This cannot be achieved without peace. And peace is better achieved if both police and media work together. The Trillanes caper in Manila is counter-productive.

The incident was made on the eve of Bonifacio Day. Trillanes, for all his bravado, is not a good tactician. Bonifacio, too. Don't you know Andres Bonifacio stands as a good revolutionary but he lost all his field battles, the last one was his battle with the perceptive, ruthless tactician, Emilio Aguinaldo.*

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