ASSAULTED A screen capture of the live video by Val Gonzales as aired over DZRH's Facebook page about the protest of transport group Manibela along East Avenue in Quezon City on Monday (June 10, 2024). Manila Broadcasting Corporation - DZRH condemned the attack and vowed to hold accountable those responsible for the incident. (Screen capture of DZRH video)
Radio station DZRH and its parent firm Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) condemned the alleged assault by members of transport group Manibela on its reporter Val Gonzales while covering a transport strike on Monday.
In a statement, MBC-DZRH station manager and vice president for Legal, lawyer Rudolph Steve Jularbal said the incident occurred while Gonzales was covering the protest of Manibela members on East Avenue, Quezon City.
“Ang mga kaparehong pangha-harass ay malinaw na pagsikil sa karapatan sa pamamahayag at walang puwang sa isang sibilisadong lipunan (Such harassments are clear violations of journalists’ rights and have no place in a civilized society),” Jularbal said.
He said those behind the assault would be held accountable to discourage similar incidents from happening again.
“Makakaasa ang publiko na mananatiling committed ang MBC-DZRH sa pagtataguyod ng katotohanan sa ngalan ng patas at malayang pamamahayag (The public may rest assured that the MBC-DZRH is committed to advocating for truth in the name of fair and unrestricted journalism),” he said.
Manibela chair Mar Valbuena denied that their members assaulted Gonzales and claimed that the reporter instigated the incident.
“Ang grupong Manibela ay mariing pinatututulan ang pahayag ng DZRH reporter na si Val Gonzales na umano'y sinuntok o sinapak siya ng aming mga miyembro,” he said.
“Ang nakita lamang sa kanyang video report ay ang paligiran diumano siya ng aming mga miyembro, ngunit ito ay para kausapin lamang siya nang mahinhin, ngunit hindi niya nilantad ang kanyang mga malisyosong sinasabi bago siya umere, kaya diumano siya sinaktan (What was seen in his video report was that he was surrounded by our members, but only so they can speak to him calmly. But he did not reveal that he was going to be airing malicious statements before going live, that’s why he allegedly was assaulted),” he said.
He said Gonzales allegedly started the incident by insulting members of the transport group, calling for their incarceration.
“Ang mamahayag ay malaya ngunit huwag mong isama ang sarili mong saloobin sa inyong trabahong kinabibilangan upang hindi ito maging bias, maging patas sana tayo sa ating pamamalita (Journalists are free but they should not speak their own opinions to not have bias and to be fair in their speech),” he said.
Val Gonzales, in a message over Viber, denied that he insulted or cursed any of the of the transport group's members.
“Hindi po totoo na minura ko sila, hindi ko po siya nakakausap. Baka po ang nagmura sa kanila ay 'yung mga nape-perwisyo at labis na naabala at naaabala sa pagsara nila sa East Avenue ng mahabang panahon (It is not true that I cursed at them, I did not talk to them. Maybe they were insulted or cursed by those affected by their protest for 'closing down' East Avenue for a quite a while),” he said.
A livestream video of his report as seen over DZRH's Facebook page show that Gonzales was reporting Manibela's protest and how it blocked the road along East Avenue in Quezon City when he was suddenly surrounded by the group's members.
He moved away and claimed that he was punched during the incident.
The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) also denounced the reported physical attack by members of Manibela against a radio reporter covering the transport strike staged by the group on Monday in Quezon City.
In a statement, PTFoMS Executive Director Undersecretary Paul Gutierrez said Val Gonzales, a veteran field reporter of radio station DZRH, and other members of the press, reported to the task force about the attack on the journalist.
PTFoMS said Gonzales was "punched in the waist at least twice by a member of Manibela, for no apparent reason," while fielding his report along East Avenue.
“Mariin natin kinokondena ang karahasan na ito laban sa isang kagawad ng media, sa katauhan ni kasamang Val Gonzales, na gumaganap lamang sa kanyang tungkulin sa pag-uulat ng mga kaganapan sa ating bansa (We strongly condemn this violence against a member of the media, in the person of Val Gonzales, who was just fulfilling his duty to report the latest happenings in the country,” Gutierrez said.
He said he already coordinated with Quezon City Police District Director Red Maranan, to summon Manibela chairperson Mario Valbuena for the violent acts of his members.
He said during an earlier transport strike staged by the transport group, DZBB field reporter Allan Gatus was also verbally abused by the strikers, accusing him of being paid and biased.
“Kung inaakala ng grupo ni Mr. Valbuena na ang ganitong mga paratang at pandarahas sa hanay ng midya ay makatutulong sa kanilang ipinaglalaban, nagkakamali sila (If the group of Mr. Valbuena thinks that such accusations and violence against the media will help them in their cause, they are wrong),” Gutierrez said.
“Naniniwala tayong hindi susuportahan ng publiko ang mga hakbang na may kaasamang pandarahas at pananakot (We believe that the public will not support steps that involve violence and intimidation),” he said. He said the task force is ready to support Gonzales, who wants to sue the transport group.
In a separate statement, the Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC), the company behind DZRH, also condemned the incident, saying the attack has no room in a civilized society.
“Determinado ang kompanya na panagutin ang mga nasa likod ng pananakit sa aming reporter upang hindi na maulit ang mga kaparehong sitwasyon (The company is determined to hold accountable those behind the assault on our reporter so that similar situations do not happen again),” MBC said.Fellow journos cry for various press organizations also condemned Manibela’s act of violence against Gonzales.
"The emotions and perceptions stemming from a written or broadcast report can never be a justification to subject a journalist to physical harm," the Defense Press Corps (DPC) said in a statement. The DPC also called on organizers and leaders of the protesters to restrain their members and respect the freedom and rights of the free press.
"In the same way the press is instrumental in extending the voice of sectors seeking redress for grievances against the government, so too should these sectors value respect and safeguard the safety of journalists," it said.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) Press Corps also deplored the incident as an act of suppression of press freedom.“The PNP Press Corps is calling for immediate action from authorities against those behind the attack against Gonzales, and Manibela’s leadership who is responsible for the acts of their members,” it said.
It vowed to help Gonzales should he decide to pursue legal action against the group. PNA
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