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Ces Oreña-Drilon, one of four people kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf
over the weekend, is a multi-awarded journalist.
She started as a trainee for Maharlika
Broadcasting System Channel 4 in 1985, according to the website of
her current employer, the ABS-CBN television network. Impressed by
her work, officials at Maharlika later hired her as a feature
reporter, later making her a general-assignment reporter.
One of her most memorable reports on Channel 4
was the exclusive on the arrest of then-renegade-Colonel Gregorio
Honasan, now a senator.
In 1989, ABS-CBN hired Drilon and assigned her
to cover the Senate. Because of her broad experience in business
reporting, she was made co-host of Usapang Business (Business Talk)
with David Celdran.
Her career soared to a new high when ABS-CBN
assigned her to manage in-depth reports, then made her an anchor on
The World Tonight, a daily English news broadcast.
She hosted several public-affairs programs,
including Pipol, Insider and The Correspondents. Drilon is now
hosting the late-night news show Bandila with Korina Sanchez and
Henry Omaga-Diaz.
Drilon covered many of the major news stories in
the Philippines in the last two decades, including the 1989 coup
attempt against then-President Corazon Aquino, the 1990 earthquake,
the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991, and, last year, the failed
rebellion of Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4th from the posh Manila
Peninsula hotel in Makati.
She has been recognized for her work. In 1995,
she received the New Breed Reporter of the Year award. In 2004, she
was given The Outstanding Women in Nation’s Service (TOWNS)
Foundation award.
She is married to artist Rock Drilon, and they
have four children.
Professor’s profile
Kidnapped with Drilon are two cameramen, whose
identities were unknown at press time, and Octavio Dinampo, a
56-year-old professor at the Marawi City campus of Mindanao State
University where he teaches political science.
He lives in Panglima Hawani, Jolo. He has a wife
and seven children. Dinampo is a mestizo Tausug and is a Christian,
a source told The Manila Times. The source added that Drilon
contacted the Abu Sayyaf through Dinampo.
Sources added that Dinampo is a peace advocate
and is chairman of the Mindanao People Caucus, a non-government
organization that promotes dialogue between the government and rebel
groups in Mindanao.
In February 2006 he interviewed Abu Sayyaf
leader Khadaffy Janjalani, who has since been killed by government
troops. The interview was published in inquirer.net, the website of
the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
-- Johanna Sampan and Kendrick Go
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