Pied Piper

Let this be a caveat: I have not yet read the controversial article about trading in ivory in the October issue of National Geographic Magazine. What I know of the article comes only from the comments of those who already did, as well as from newspaper reports about it.

And what I can say under these circumstances is that Bryan Christy, the writer of the NatGeo article, may not have been exactly straightforward in dealing with Msgr. Cristobal Garcia, whose extensive mention in the piece as owner of icons made of ivory placed him on the spot.

This is not in defense of Garcia and, by extension, the Catholic Church, both of whom I believe should have been very well aware of the ban against ivory, it having been imposed from as early as 1981.

I believe Garcia and the Church should, at the very least, be questioned about their seemingly being oblivious to the ban. And I believe even more strongly that such agencies as the DENR, Customs and even the NBI should be probed as well, instead of being the ones probing.

It is very obvious that if these and other agencies have truly been up on their toes, collectors such as Garcia would not have had the same ease with which they seem to have managed to acquire ivory pieces.

I would not be surprised if, given the lucrative nature of the ivory trade, not a few people, possibly members of these very same agencies, may have helped ease along the illegal ivory trade with their cooperation.

But the very person I would strongly urge to be investigated, by NatGeo if by no one else, is Christy himself. From what I have read so far, I can safely assume (not having read the article, I will not make any conclusions) he did not tell Garcia the exact nature of the article.

Unlike a press conference, where interviews can be free-wheeling, or chance interviews, where the questions are often spontaneous and random, sit-down formal one-on-one interviews are conducted according to very clear and set parameters.

Sit-down formal one-on-one interviews are almost always scheduled by appointment. In setting up an appointment, the purpose of the interview is always laid out and the nature of the intended article made very clear.

As a professional journalist, I know this to be the way it is done. And as a presumably professional writer, I cannot expect anything less by Christy as well. When setting up for his interview with Garcia, Christy was expected to explain the general intent of his article.

But judging from the accounts of how the interview went, particularly on how Garcia answered the questions and how he virtually opened his soul up to Christy, it was very clear the monsignor had no inkling what he was getting himself into.

Had Garcia known Christy would be writing about ivory smuggling, I do not think Garcia, his being a “man of God” notwithstanding, would have allowed himself to be openly and directly quoted as giving “tips” on how to precisely smuggle ivory pieces.

The way it looks to me, Christy was rather vague to Garcia about the intent of his article and Garcia never suspected. Christy appears to have hidden behind his NatGeo press card to conduct an interview in a most unprofessional way.

To an interviewer, a talkative interviewee is music to the ears. But if to get that interviewee talking one employs trickery, the picture that comes to my mind is that of a pied piper leading the unsuspecting to death by drowning with music that deceptively entices.