Davao Today columnist nabbed at Laguindingan airport

MANILA, Philippines (Corrected 5:15 p.m.) —The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines on Sunday reported that a columnist for a Davao City news site was nabbed on Sunday morning for reasons yet unknown.

NUJP said Margarita Valle, a columnist of Davao Today and also a former columnist of Sun.Star Davao, was reportedly held on Sunday morning at the Laguindingian Airport while waiting for her flight home to Davao City. 

Davao Today is part of Altermidya, or the People’s Alternative Media Network, a network of progressive and independent media outfits. Members of the network have been subject to online harassment and cyber attacks on their websites.

Valle’s son, Rius, said his mother was “illegally arrested” by the members of the Philippine National Police at the airport for an "unknown reason."

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"She was set to go home after attending a training-workshop in CDO and about to board a plane to Davao when the arrest happened," Rius, who is with the Save Our Schools Network, said.

“We have now lost all communications with her and we don't know her whereabouts,” he added. 

Rius then took to Facebook to seek help from his media friends as his mother is feared missing.

“To all my media friends in CDO, please help,” he said. —Rosette Adel

(Editor's note: An earlier version of this article said Valles was arrested at the Cagayan de Oro Airport. Although Laguindingan Airport uses airport code CGY, it is actually in Laguindingan in Misamis Oriental, and not in Cagayan de Oro. We apologize for the error.)