We, the 2011 Graciano Lopez Jaena Community Journalism fellows, condemn road contractor Joseph "Nono" Yap III's recent attack against our colleague and Sorsogon Now editor Bobby Labalan.
Reacting to an Aug. 7 report on the alleged irregular implementation of a road project in Prieto Diaz town, Yap challenged Labalan: "Nano kay tinitira mo ako (Why are you criticizing me)?"
Yap then punched Labalan in public and in the presence of Sorsogon Governor Raul Lee. The contractor also allegedly carried a gun during the confrontation.
We see the attack as a move not only against Labalan but against press freedom.
We believe that Labalan, in running the story on a project which public officials eye for investigation, was guarding public interest by seeking and reporting the truth.
We hold further than Labalan exercised fairness in his reportage, in concordance to the tenents of community journalism espoused by the Graciano Lopez Jaena Fellowship.
"[Sorsogon now] sought Yap's side before running the story. He cannot claim that it was one-sided," Labalan was quoted as saying.
The fear stirred by Yap's attack against Labalan is the same fear borne of the Maguindanao massacre which killed 58 persons, including 32 journalists, in 2009.
It is the same fear that strongman Ferdinand Marcos used to silence the Philippine press during martial law.
It is the kind of fear that stifles press freedom, keeps the public blind and kills democracy.
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