Occidental Mindoro bishop gets police security

CALAPAN CITY, Philippines – Police have provided security to Bishop Antonio Palang of Occidental Mindoro, along with a priest and a nun, following the burning of a Church-run radio station in San Jose town last week.

This, as an international media watchdog and Palawan Gov. Abraham Kahlil Mitra both expressed indignation and alarm over the incident and asked the government to do something “tangible” in protecting media in general and to bring to justice those responsible for this latest “media attack.”

Chief Superintendent Artemio Hicban, regional police director of Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), earlier said Church officials in Occidental Mindoro revealed that they had received threats from a dismissed employee even before the fire.

Hicban said Church officials expressed fear that those behind the fire that gutted the dzVT radio station might harm them as the investigation has zeroed in on “internal” Church matters.

Although refusing to elaborate on the matter, Hicban told newsmen that investigators learned that an employee was fired recently because of irregularities found when an internal audit of Church funds was conducted.

“This employee threatened to burn down the station,” Hicban said.

On Monday, the Reporters Without Borders expressed its outrage on the burning incident, saying authorities should have guarded dzVT as it had been a target of attacks days before the fire.

The group quoted a local journalist as saying that the radio station could have been targeted for its commentaries critical of a local politician.

“We are outraged by the violence directed against a growing number of media organizations in retaliation just for broadcasting or publishing commentaries locally,” the media watchdog said on its website.

“There are 50 or so radio stations on the (Mindoro) island and hundreds throughout the country. The government can no longer economize on security measures for media workers, without which hired killers, private militias and terrorist groups such as the New People’s Army (the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines) continue to act with impunity,” it said.

The group also reminded President Aquino of his commitment to freedom of the press and the protection of media workers.

The Philippines is on 156th place out of 178 countries listed in the Reporters Without Borders press freedom index for 2010.

For his part, Mitra said the Mindoro incident was a “big blow” to the broadcast industry and an “alarming threat” to press freedom and freedom of speech which should have been otherwise respected.

Although dzVT is based in Barangay Labangan, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, the radio station is also being heard by many Palaweños, particularly in the Calamianes group of islets and other municipalities in northern Palawan.

The Palawan provincial government also has a regular program through its provincial information office on dzVT.

The facilities of dzVT, a member of the Catholic Media Network, and Bishop Palang’s office were razed in the fire last Oct. 26. Damage was placed at about P10 million.

There was an initial attempt to burn down the station last Oct. 20, but it failed.

Senior Superintendent Michael Baysa, Occidental Mindoro police director, said investigators were close to identifying suspects, as he ruled out the involvement of local government officials and rebel groups.

Baysa said there were no signs of forced entry into the bishop’s office that had two large heavy doors and a double lock.