Press freedom groups score Ifugao vice mayor for harassment

BAGUIO CITY – The Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontières (Reporters Without Borders) joining the RP-based National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) has banded together in a worldwide condemnation on the “snapping” behavior of Alfonso Lista town Vice Mayor Clarence Polig against two news correspondents of a national daily last week.

“The harassment of Malaya correspondent Ma. Elena Catajan and photographer Redgie Cawis illustrates very clearly how the culture of impunity in this country is allowed to flourish and embolden those who would wish to suppress the free Philippine press,” Joe Torres, NUJP president said, as the harrowing incident has already reached the offices of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) via “an alert.” 

Vincent Brossel, Asia – Pacific Desk of RSF who immediately condemned the harassment had issued “alerts” on its worldwide network to ask Philippine authorities for an investigation of the incident.

Torres said, “it should be noted that most of the media killings in the country have happened in the provinces, where politicians like Polig, warlords, corrupt military and police officials, and crime lords – in collusion with, or indistinguishable from each other – rule their own little fiefdoms.”

Still trembling telling her harrowing experience from a supposedly dangerous situation while covering a festival in Ifugao province, Malaya correspondent Catajan vowed for justice as she claimed she and her photographer colleague – Cawis were “snapped” by Alfonso Lista town vice mayor Polig, even to the point that guns were reportedly drawn.

Catajan and Cawis went to Alfonso Lista together with Department of Tourism-Cordillera regional director Purificacion Molintas on May 10 to cover the town’s festival.

After doing their news and photo gathering around town, they headed to the vice mayor’s house as a last late afternoon stop for interviews. 

Polig is a direct descendant of Alfonso Lista, the man from which the town’s name was named after.   

The female correspondent narrated that she first wanted to reset the interview as it was already dark and raining heavily, but the vice mayor insisted because he would be busy the following day. “I agreed to conduct the interview immediately,” Catajan said.

The interview was reportedly short as the two journalists were tired and hungry too. But Polig allegedly refused to allow them to leave saying they should drink with them.

Polig was reportedly then drinking with the town’s jail warden and several others.

Polig was very nice at first, Catajan claimed, but “snapped” including the official’s drinking buddies. “Redjie (Cawis) sat beside me the whole time as he felt the men were picking on me based on personal questions they asked when I stepped out to buy something at a nearby store (questions like if I was Redjie’s wife, did I have a family – usapang lasing questions).”

Polig who obviously had too much to drink started a heated argument with the two journalists, Catajan said. The vice mayor allegedly insisted their coverage was “illegal and accused us of trespassing.” “He claimed we have no work order from him.”

Polig also allegedly insisted that all dealings with the town had to pass through his approval.

Catajan and Cawis explained to him that Mayor Charles Catttling invited them to cover the event through the Department of Tourism.

Polig however, did not listen. And at that point, “we were alarmed to notice him and his three companions bringing out their guns.”

“We wanted to leave the town but were stopped by Polig’s companions and an unidentified man wearing a bonnet and heavy sweater suddenly appeared,” Catajan said.  

“The incident,” by itself, NUJP’s Torres said, “is a classic example of how, in the Philippines, petty warlord-politicians can lord it over isolated communities, wielding virtual life and death powers that have time and again proven fatal for vigilant community journalists.”