Press Release
July 5, 2009

Villar slams arbitrary detention of journalists

The Nacionalista Party (NP) led by Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. has assailed the military's hour-long "arbitrary detention" of a group of journalists on a tour of shelters in Central Mindanao, calling the action "abusive and totally unwarranted."

"We absolutely support the filing of an appropriate complaint against the officers and soldiers responsible for the harassment," said NP spokesperson and former Cavite Rep. Gilbert Remulla.

"At the very least, those responsible for the ill-treatment of the journalists should be admonished. This way, similar abuses will be discouraged going forward," said Remulla, a broadcast journalist and former chairman of the House committee on public information.

Remulla rejected the Army's defense that its units in their area were simply out to secure the road while the journalists were being held.

"That is a lame and unacceptable excuse. The point is, the journalists were held against their will. They had a job to perform, and they clearly wanted to proceed with their trip, but they were prevented from doing so," Remulla pointed out.

"We must stress that military elements have neither the business nor the right to meddle in the legitimate activities of journalists, or get in the way of media practitioners carrying out their jobs," Remulla said.

The group of 52 journalists based in Manila and Mindanao was on a three-day visit to shelters for civilians dislodged by constant fighting between the military and rebel groups.

Their 11-vehicle convoy was blocked in the morning of June 30 at a military checkpoint in a village in the Municipality of Guindolongan, Maguindanao province.

The journalists were held by soldiers belonging to the Bravo Company of the Army's 46th Infantry Battalion.

The Commission on Human Rights earlier urged the detained journalists to file a report on the incident to ensure an exhaustive investigation.

Sponsored by peace and media groups with the help of foreign aid agencies, the journalists were out to provide coverage to the plight of internally displaced persons.

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