Maybe it’s because the end of the school year is nearing — it’s certainly not because I’m particularly popular — but these days I’ve been getting interviewed by students more and more often for their theses and senior projects. One such interview I wrote about here, and then the other day a media colleague who’s taking her master’s degree in journalism asked me to help her by way of sharing my thoughts on some issues that affect me as a journalist.
Let me start by going straight to the end of the interview: by the time we were over, I was feeling a little overwhelmed by the enormity of the problems we face as a nation. A feeling of pessimism crept up on me, the sense that no mater what we do — and no matter how much we say that every little bit counts — we mere mortals can’t really effect change because those who have the money and the power will do all they can to thwart us.
But life must go on, and when we stood up after the interview I regained my sense that the future is worth fighting for and that, as Romans 8:28 promises, in all things God works for the good of those who love him. We were put here on earth for a purpose, and while it may seem that the ungodly are winning now, their end is actually destruction (see Philippians 3:19 and Psalm 73).
My colleague and I talked for about an hour, and I’d like to share some of the things we discussed. Here, in no particular order — and as much as I can remember — were the things she asked and how I answered. The following is heavily paraphrased, however, since I cannot reconstruct the entire conversation from memory:
1. What did you feel when I learned about the Maguindanao massacre
I was angry, and I was downhearted. I didn’t know any of the victims on a personal level, but I already knew at the time that some of them were journalists. It wasn’t until a few days later that we learned that the number of journalists in the massacre was 30 — with one missing — which was more than half the number of the victims. I immediately knew, without having to verify, that that was the single worst attack on journalists in history anywhere in the world, and I knew that any doubt about the Philippines being the most dangerous place for journalists was erased that day.
2. Are you now concerned about your safety?
Up to that time we journalists had thought that while our job was dangerous, we could at least count on our being observers as a shield against violence. Even the journalists who had been assassinated over the years were more or less targeted for something specific they had done or reported on. But the 30 reporters who were with the convoy on their way to Sharif Aguak were only covering an event, something all journalists do on a regular basis. To our knowledge they weren’t shot because of anything they had written about or reported on: they were killed simply because they were there, and so that, as one witness said, they could not report on what happened.
Whether we like it or not, and whether we believe it or not, a precedent has already been set. That is why it is so important to resolve this case and punish the guilty. If this goes unsolved, then other people would be further emboldened and continue to attack journalists. They know they won’t get punished. That is what the word impunity means, and that is why we rile against it.
3. Are you concerned for your safety even here in Davao City?
I think the events of the past weeks have dispelled the illusion that journalists are safe here in Davao City. The massacre was one incident; add to that the discovery that cocaine was being smuggled through our ports under the noses of the authority and all notion that we are protected goes up in smoke. We are not as secure as we had believed. Armed groups can easily come and stage attacks. Remember that we have a very long shoreline, and it’s very easy to smuggle in anything through them. The authorities have always denied this, but last week’s drug bust in the Maersk compound tells us that they’re not on top of the situation. They’re not on top of anything.
4. You’re originally from Manila, and you still have family there. What did they tell you when they learned of the Maguindanao massacre?
They were concerned for us, of course. Last week I went to General Santos City with my wife and daughter just to visit since I was on leave from work, and when my sisters learned about it from my Facebook status they asked immediately what I was going to do there. I had to assure them that I was just taking a break and our trip had nothing to do with the fact that many of the victims of the massacre were from GenSan.
5. Are you considering moving out of Davao City?
No! I still believe Davao City is the best place in the country in which to raise a family. There are many problems here, and like I said, the illusion of absolute safety has been dispelled for me, but it is still much safe here than in Manila. Here you know which places to avoid, but in Manila your next-door neighbor can be your murderer. And over there you can be shot dead over a simple traffic altercation.
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