Death No. 1...

This morning, I was with a throng of journalists who stormed the office of the Ombudsman Mindanao, as one of our colleagues filed criminal and administrative charges against a Board Member of Compostela Valley Province.

Apparently, what Board Member Neri Barte did to broadcaster Roel Sembrano of Radyo Natin in Compostela threatened the very soul of freedom of expression. In fact, Barte attempted to curtail this right when he attacked Sembrano, with hir wife and daughter in tow, early morning of October 24.

Listening to Sembrano retrace the event created a picture of three voltures, ripping the flesh of a half-dead prey, in my mind. It is highly condemnable that the Bartes had to share their lust (or disgust) over their hapless prey, right inside that place called "announcer's booth."

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) said the attack is intolerable as "an announcer's booth is to a broadcaster what a pulpit is to a priest."

"Actions of public officials like Barte are dangerous. It is the kind of mentality that threatens the democracy that we vowed to protect. Such act of a public official must be condemned, not only by the media as a sector, but also by fellow public officials," the NUJP and KBP said in a joint statement.

Death No. 2...

This morning, after expressing unity for the "protection of the mandate of our profession," we went to see Mariannet Amper who was lying right where she was found hanging. Hers is a death so painful it challenges everyone's apathy; a truth that screams right in the face of the policy makers who met to talk about how to fight poverty in a posh Manila hotel while she was hanging lifeless because of poverty.


Death No. 3...

This morning, news about another death in the family came in. The text message read "Patay na siya kuya..." Reading it left in me a feeling that this one is no different from the others.


Death is as overrated as death.

12 comments:

Bryan Anthony the First said...

blogmate...my condolences...may your kuya rest in peace

Kiks said...

i usually dont do condolences. but have my sympathies.

and while we're at it, let's get angry for those who die at the hands of those who should protect them and ensure that they keep on living.

ie said...

different deaths, but all of them stare at my face exactly the same way. i feel vulnerable right now.

my condolences.

Anonymous said...

i want to express my deepest sympathy to yu kuya!

crazed_heck said...

i feel for the deaths...just lost my lolo recebtly...

condolences...

Bryan Anthony the First said...

mariannet reminds me of anne frank...

a brave girl...

mschumey07 said...

Condolence...I just lost an uncle a week ago. Death sure has many faces but we must never lose sight of what life has in store for us.

Emeniano Acain Somoza, Jr. said...

Condolences on the loss of a loved one.

On the lighter side, lookie, our short story is featured on today's issue of the Philippine Graphic, Literary Section, Pub. Date Nov. 19, 2007! Quick, grab a copy now!

Emeniano Acain Somoza, Jr. said...

Condolences on the loss of a loved one. May his passing strengthened the bond he had forged with the ones he left behind.

On a lighter note, lookie, our short story is featured again on the Philippine Graphic. Grab a copy of Nov. 19, 2007 ish, I think it's out already.

Athens said...

hugs out to you jepoi..

i have to agree on death being overrated.. ive heard quite enough of em for the week.

mikel said...

i feel for you.

tin-tin said...

condolence...