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THE military has no intentions of issuing guidelines for journalists
covering Mindanao especially during the election in the Autonomous
Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) next month.
According to Armed Forces Chief Alexander Yano,
it would be better if such guidelines would come from the media
outfits in order to prevent possible violation of rights on the part
of the media.
“Even if we would like you not to venture in
these areas, I think your instincts would really be to go against
whatever guidelines we have set, so I think it should be something
that should come from the group,” Yano told reporters.
But the Armed Forces chief advised members of
media planning to go to Mindanao to inform the commanders in the
area once they arrived that they may be advised regarding the areas
that could pose danger.
The television news crew of ABS-CBN and a
college professor were the latest victims of kidnapping in Mindanao
where suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group held them hostage
for nine days.
Broadcaster Ces Drilon and cameramen Jimmy
Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama and Prof. Octavio Dinampo were
abducted by the group of Radulan Sahiron in the village of Kulasi in
Maimbung town, Sulu.
They were freed after Drilon’s family paid the
ransom.
Members of the media are expected to flock to
Mindanao to cover the ARMM election.
The military will deploy 5,337 troops while the
Philippine National Police will assign 7,253 police personnel to
provide security in the area.
-- Jefferson Antiporda
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