THE city chapter of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) condemned another slay attempt on one of its colleague whose house was lobbed with a grenade last Sunday evening.
Reports from NUJP-Misamis Occidental identified the media man as Danilo Pilar, a hard-hitting radio commentator and presenter of “Analysis,” a weekly current affairs program airing on a local television.
Pilar was said to be active in denouncing shenanigans from political celebrities and public offices in the province.
Ronda Balita, a nightly broadcast airing in Ozamiz City, showed this paper its interview with Pilar a day after the incident where he narrated that he was at the back of his house when two unidentified persons lobbed a grenade in their front terrace around 7:00 in the evening of Dec. 20.
The blast tore through his house located in Barangay Tabo-o, Jimenez, Misamis Occidental damaging the window jealousies.
The shrapnels likewise injured Pilar’s father in law, identified as Rodolfo Dulam, who was then immediately brought to Medina General Hospital in Ozamiz.
Pilar said he could not recall anybody having a grudge against him since he has been on break from his weekly television program for almost a year although he admitted later that he has returned for two weeks already.
He believes the attack is politically motivated and is related to his work as a presenter in his weekly television program.
This paper learned that Pilar was doing research on a certain high-ranking provincial official and that the said person may have been tipped off about Pilar's inquiries.
In a statement emailed to this paper, NUJP-Misamis Occidental president Ryan Rosauro condemned the attack and expressed the chapter’s view on the slay attempt.
“Ang NUJP hilabihang naalarma ug naguol sa pagpangatake kang Danny Pilar pinaagi sa usa ka granada nga gilabay sa iyang panimalay…Bisan paman nga ang usa ka halalom nga imbestigasyon ang kamulo’ng gipahigayon kalabot niini...hinaut nga masustenir kining paningkamot sa pagsulbad sa kaso aron makaangkon [siya] og hingpit nga hustisya,” the statement reads.
“Dili madiskwento ang posibilidad nga ang pagpangatake adunay kalambigitan sa pulitika ug ang trabaho ni Danny isip tigbalita. Nahitabo kini human maplastar ang kandidatura sa mga pulitiko alang sa nagkadaiyang posisyon. Gani, matud ni Danny, kung adunay nag-interes sa iyang kinabuhi tungod sa lain pang rason, kaniadto ra siya hamyang kaayo sa pagpangatake.”
“Tungod niini, among gihangyo nga unta malinawon nga pamaagi ang ipatuman sa mga pulitiko subay sa ilang personal nga interes nga maagni ang katawhan sa pagdapig sa ilang tagsa-tagsa ka kandidatura.”
To recall, a few weeks ago, Ozamiz journalists expressed they were incensed over the killing of their colleagues in Maguindanao and called for the need to initiate a treaty among politicians as a promise not to repeat the gruesome incident.
“Atong panawagan ngadto sa mga politiko: di magdayon ang panagbingkil. Mahimo nga ang manag-away karon managsuud sa sunod ug vice versa. Hunongon na nato kini nga cycle of violence nga maoy nagpatigbabaw dinhi sa ato,” they said then.
“After all, sa mga politiko, ang pagpapili para man mangalagad, dili ang mohawod sa katilingban. Himuon nato nga matarong. Ang pagpatay s mga kaaway sa politika pagpangalagad lamang sa atong kaugalingon ug sa atong katuyuan.”
The NUJP has been urging politicians in the province to assure the public not to use violence in pursuit of their political interest, especially with the 2010 general elections just around the corner.
“Among giawhag ang mga pulitiko nga mosaad atubangan sa katawhan nga magdumili sa dugoon nga mga paagi aron mapalawig ang kinaugalingong pulitikanhong interes,” the journalists said.
“Ang pagpapili sa pulitikanhong posisyon usa sa mga hulagway sa pagtunhay sa demokrasya. Kaubang hulagway niini ang kagawasan sa pagpadayag,” they concluded.
To recall again, it was only in February this year when Ernesto Rollin of DxSY-AM was shot dead in Oroquieta City while on his way to work. The killer was eventually arrested and charged but the mastermind was never known.
REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA