KIDNAPPING and NEWS EMBARGO

“KIDNAPPING AND NEWS EMBARGO: A DISSERVICE OR A RISK WORTH TAKING”

INTRODUCTION

The press and the media, being the sole providers of news and information, continuously face daunting tasks and perils in accomplishing news stories for public welfare and consumption. They have constantly been in the receiving end of both the public’s admiration and criticisms. Whether or not the nature of the works they engage to are seen to feed the public’s interest insofar as their right to public information and is concerned, media people have always been on the hot pursuit of news worthy events and stories, no matter what hurdles they face on their way.

This entry aims to direct and zero in on the issue of the media’s coverage on kidnapping stories and the observance of news embargoes among news organizations that has silently but potently came to be a continued practice in the local and international industry today.

I. DEFINITION OF TERMS:

1. EMBARGO (general):

Ø An order of the government prohibiting the movement of merchant ships into or out of its ports. (“trade embargo”)

Ø An injunction from a government commerce agency to refuse freight for shipments, as in case of congestion or insufficient facilities.

Ø A pronouncement or order of the government prohibiting the departure of ships of commerce from some or all of the ports within is dominions; a prohibition to sail.

Ø Restriction of the sale of goods that make a direct and specific contribution to a country’s military power (“strategic embargo”)

Ø A tool of economic warfare that may be employed for a variety of political purposes, including demonstrating resolve, sending a political signal, retaliating for another country’s actions, compelling a country to change its behavior, deterring it from engaging in undesired activities, and weakening its military capability.

2. NEWS EMBARGO

Ø In journalism and public relations, it is a request made by a valid source to make an information or news provided by the said source to be published until a certain date or after certain conditions have been met.

Ø Often used by businesses making a product announcement, by medical journals, and by government officials announcing policy initiatives.

3. KIDNAPPING

Ø The taking away and confinement of a person, by force or by fraud, against his or her will, and without valid and legal authority.

Ø In common legal terms, it is referred to as “abduction” when the said kidnapping involves a woman as a victim.

Ø In common usage nowadays, it generally refers to the abduction of person or persons done not only to collect ransom in exchange for that person or those persons’ freedom but also to keep custody of the victims permanently.

Ø The crime of unlawfully seizing and carrying away a person by force or fraud, or seizing and detaining a person against his or her will with an intent to carry that person away at a later time.

Ø It refers to forceful abduction of a human being with the intention to hold them for ransom, or seize them away for the motive of harassment (physically or mentally or sexually), taking them hostage and various other motives. It is done by the way of taking the kidnapped person to a place where they are unlikely to be found and is unlikely to be released till abductors demands are satisfied.

4. JOURNALISTS

Ø A person who practices journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events, trends, issues and people.

Ø A person who works as a reporter, a commentator, a columnist, an editor, or any member of the Fourth Estate.

Ø A person who writes or edits news items for a newspaper or magazine or for radio or television.

5. JOURNALISM

Ø The profession of writing or communicating, formally employed by publications and broadcasters, for the benefit of a particular community of people.

Ø An academic study concerned with the collection and editing of news or the management of a news medium.

Ø Writing characterized by a direct presentation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation, and designed to appeal to current popular taste and public interest.

6. MASS MEDIA

Ø Denote a section of the media specifically envisioned and designed to reach a very large audience such as the population of a nation state.

Ø Any means of communication that reach and influence large numbers of people, especially newspapers, popular magazines, radio, and television.

7. NEWS AGENCY

Ø An organization that provides news coverage to subscribers, as to newspapers or periodicals.

Ø An agency to collects news reports for newspapers and distributes it electronically.

II. CONTEXT OF THE ISSUE

ABS-CBN Nes and Current Affairs anchor Ces Oreña-Drilon

The discussion on the issue of kidnapping and news embargoes came in the light of the yet another kidnapping incident involving a prominent name in the news industry, along with four other individuals.

More than two months ago, the Philippines and the whole world witnessed the suspense and the drama of the Abu Sayyaf rebels’ abduction of ABS-CBN news anchor Cecilia Victoria “Ces” Oreña-Drilon in Maimbung, Sulu. Taken along with her were two members of her crew namely, Jimmy Encarnacion, her cameraman, and Angelo Valderama, their driver, and Mindanao State University professor Octavio Dinampo.

The story of Drilon’s kidnapping first broke out on the wires courtesy of the Associated Press (AP). The Paris-based International Herald Tribune and SunStar Cebu, the flagship newspaper of the SunStar group of newspapers, also ran the said story despite the news embargo requested by the ABS-CBN.

The ABU SAYYAF, a notoriouis Islamic separatist group that sows terror in Mindanao, has been in armed insurrection for almost 30 years now.

The Malacañang palace through Deputy Spokesman Lorelei Fajardo, appealed to media outfits for caution and restraint in reporting the incident and ordered police and military officials “to run after the perpetrators and bring the victims home alive and well”.

GMANEWS.tv has posted a brief timeline of the said abduction story, beginning from Drilon and company’s arrival at Jolo, Sulu up until they were freed by their abductors before midnight on June 17, 2008 after exactly ten days in captivity.

With this, local and international news outfits and organizations began publishing stories and analyses related to kidnapping and the perilous nature of journalists’ work in the field, especially that of covering and going after high-risk assignments. Despite the Philippine government’s strict observance of the “No Ransom Policy”, rumors of a P15-million payment in exchange for the captives’ freedom leaked out of the picture.

The recent terror sowed by the Abu Sayyaf group (ASG) earned criticisms left and right. FilipinoVoices.com, an on-line Filipino community blog, labeled it as a mere “publicity stunt” by the notorious insurgents. The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), a non-stock non-profit foundation that supports and enhances the ethical and professional values of the Philippine press, also posted a story on the Drilon-kidnapping incident and made a brief account of the widely-known abductions made by the Abu Sayyaf.

ABS-CBN, Drilon’s mother network, later condemned the abduction of one of their premier newscasters, labeling it as an “unconscionable attack against journalists [an the press]”. To make its ends clearer and more understandable, it expressed its motives on requesting for a news blackout on all media outfits, saying that “it was made primarily for the security and safety of Ces and her companions”.

Completely overshadowed by Drilon’s kidnapping story was another Abu Sayyaf abduction involving Globe Telecom servicemen in Tuburan, Basilan on July 17, 2008, barely a week after it (ASG) captured Drilon’s group.

American missionary couple Martin and Gracia Brunham and 20 others were abducted by the ASG, led by Aldam Tilao or "Abu Sabaya"

The Abu Sayyaf rebels were largely known for the infamous Dos Palmas kidnapping in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, where they took as captives three Americans – Martin and Gracia Burnham, a missionary couple; and Guillermo Sobero, who was later murdered by the terror group. They were held responsible for the series of kidnappings and bombings in Metro Manila and in Mindanao. Their operations dwindled for quite some time due to the continuous advances made by the government troops that resulted to the killing of their renowned leaders. Last December, MSNBC.com posted a story on the conviction of 14 ASG members after their 2001 kidnapping exploits.

III. KIDNAPPING STATISTICS IN THE PHILIPPINES

According to the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism’s (PCIJ) website – www.pcij.org – anti-crime groups have recorded 63 kidnapping cases three years ago, or 37 percent more than the 46 reported in 2004 when kidnapping was at an all-time low.

Ransom paid to kidnappers totaled P54.1 million in 2005 – up from the P41.39 million paid in 2004 – according to the yearend report of the Citizens Action Against Crime (CAAC) and the Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO) published in the fortnightly Filipino-Chinese digest Tulay.

YEAR	INCIDENTS	VICTIMS	RANSOM PAID
2005	63	82	P54.10-million
2004	46	70	P41.39-million
2003	127	188	P194.74-million
2002	134	209	P103.72-million
2001	116	237	P211.09-million
2000	79	219	P261.97-million
1999	76	135	P14.78-million
1998	110	188	P119.98-million
1997	152	249	P306.42-million
1996	147	241	P109.92-million
1995	119	199	P111.92-million
1994	127	288	P98.54-million
1993	107	179	P69.11-million

Summary of Kidnapping Cases
(January to October 2003)

Month	NCR	Luzon	Visayas	Mindanao	Total	No. of Victims	Ransom paid (in million pesos)
January	4	4	1	3	12	23	6.2520
February	6	-	-	2	8	16	4.7870
March	3	4	-	2	9	10	7.6450
April	8	1	-	2	11	21	45.2570
May	9	2	-	2	13	15	16.7445
June	8	1	-	-	9	10	3.3020
July	5	3	-	-	8	11	10.9250
August	8	4	-	4	16	27	67.0440
September	12	2	-	3	17	24	14.8310
October	6	1	-	-	7	7	5.224
TOTAL	69	22	1	18	110	162	182.0115

Source: Citizens Action Against Crime and Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order

A related study by the PCIJ, entitled “Captive Market” shows how the escalating cases of kidnapping and abduction in the country has taken its toll on the economy and the lives of private individuals.

An article dated March 16, 2006 published by the Manila Bulletin in their website (www.mb.com.ph) narrowed down on the newfound trend of kidnappers to target Filipino-Chinese businessmen and their families as victims.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) has 659 articles published with regard to the subject of kidnapping for the period from June 1, 2007 up to June 30 (post-dated), 2008.

57-year old Father Giancarlo Bossi of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, who has been working in Mindanao since 1980, was abducted by Abu Sayyaf rebels on June 10, 2007 in Bulawan, ZAmboanga

Of the 659 articles, 44 cases of kidnappings and abductions were reported, notably that of Fr. Giancarlo Bossi. The figure does not include the ‘kidnapping’ of Jun Lozada, the kidnapping charge of Mark Jimenez’s estranged wife against him, and the kidnapping charge of television personality Plinky Recto against her husband who took their children out of the country.

The kidnapping reports did not carry with it any notes of the news being embargoed. The following are PDI’s kidnapping reports from June 01, 2007 to June 30, 2008, with the dates of abduction, the victims and their captors:

1.  4 Basilan Electric Cooperative employees in Basilan by Abu Sayyaf

26 June 2008  11a.m.

2.   MSU Prof in Lanao del Sur abducted by armed men

26 June 2008 4:30 pm

3.   38 Residents in Lanao del Sur taken hostage for a day

17 June 2008 6:30 am

4.   2 Marines kidnapped by MILF

10 June 2008 before noon

5.   Municipal Treasurer of Tupi, So. Cotabato

12 June 2008

6.   Two police officers in Davao Oriental by NPA

3 June 2008, 1:30 pm

7.   Trader in Zamboanga

27 May 2008 6pm

8.   South Korean and Filipino traders in Marawi

29 March 2008, released in May

9.   Indian in Cotabato City

2 May 2008

10. Businesswoman, 6 others by Abu Sayyaf

January 2008, released in April

11. DepEd official in Sulu by Abu Sayyaf

1 April 2008

12. 11-year old boy in Santiago City  (killed)

3 March 2008

13. 2 Businessman by amateur kidnappers

26 February 2008, ransom recovered

14. Korean couple by a woman

January 2008

15. Construction worker by gunmen

30 January 2008

16. Village chief in Tiwi, Albay  (killed)

12 June 2008  6:30 pm

17. Driver and Mechanic of Mayor Estino of Patikul, Sulu  (released)

13 December 2007

18. Six people by Pentagon Gang in Barongis, Maguindanao

1 December 2007 4:00 pm

19. Nursing Student by Male Textmate

1 December 2007

20. One year old baby by Nanny

26 November 2007

21. Chinese-Filipino businessmen plus 5 by Gunmen

1 December 2007

22. Wife used to husband’s debt

28 October 2007, released November 26

23. Driver of passenger van in Kolambugan, Lanao del Sur by gunmen

25 November 2007  1:30 pm

24. Lanao del Sur poll officer by gunmen

9 November 2007, recovered 13 November 2007

25. 17-year old girl by one of her relatives (against motorcycle sale)

3 November 2007

26. 4 persons in Mauban, Quezon by military

14 November 2007

27. 5-year old by a woman in Amoranto Stadium

4 November 2007

28. Taguig councilor’s aide by 4 armed men

30 October 2007  12:30pm

29. 3-year old boy in Lanao del Sur by white slavery gang?

August 2007, rescued in October 2007

30. Activist in Samar by Army

11 May 2007

31. Dentist in Victoria, Laguna by a former Army soldier

9 October 2007

32. Geraldine Palma kidnapped by Nanny

11 August 2007  11am

33. Village official in Lanao del Norte by gunmen

25 September 2007  10:30am

34. Chinese businessman in Tondo by 3 men, rescued in Mabalacat

23 September 2007

35. 3-year old girl taken by a woman in front of house in Pasay, rescued

16 September 2007

36. Indian businessmen by armed men in Antipolo City

19 August 2007

37. Mindanao bus employee by armed men

11 August 2007

38. Two activists in Surigao by Army

5 July 2007, 11am

39. Davao businessman by kidnap-for-ransom gang

8 July 2007

40. Six teenagers in Sagada by military

15 June 2007

41. Militant leader in South Cotabato by armed men (freed after 30 hrs)

6 June 2007

42. Fr. Giancarlo Bossi in Zamboanga by MILF? Abu?

10 June 2007

43. Indian man in Cainta, Rizal by police operatives

10 June 2007

44. 3 Grocery Store owners in Laguna by police force

3 June 2007 5:15 pm

IV. ETHICS OF EMBARGOES

The issuance of embargo request by media outfits, whether from print, television, or any other type of medium, has been unknown to majority of the people. It is a something that is considered as a commonly-shared knowledge among those in the same levels of the industry. It is for the reason that this kind of “favor” does not only breach the line of competition among news institutions but also serves its purposes for the sake of a particular media industry’s future.

The Philippine Star published a number of embargo-related stories and articles. Some of which were:

1. Energy sufficiency
REPORT CARD Ni Atty. Ernest Maceda
Wednesday, May 21, 2008

2. Despite poor human rights record, Myanmar easily finds foreign suppliers for its military
Saturday, October 13, 2007

3. France-Libya arms deal “nothing to do” with Bulgarian medics’ release
Saturday, August 4, 2007

4. UN extends mandate for Somalia arms embargo panel
Tuesday, July 24, 2007

5. Standing her ground
FROM A DISTANCE By Carmen N. Pedrosa
Saturday, July 28, 2007

6. Crossing Paths: Tita Cory and me
By Teresita Ang See
Sunday, May 11, 2008

7. EDITORIAL – Corpus delicti
Monday, June 16, 2008

8. Countries of inspiration
TRADE FORUM By Chris Malazarte
Saturday, March 1, 2008

Notable considerations in handling news embargoes have been tackled in several posts on the Web.

Two accounts of personal experiences by journalists on handling news embargoes at work were illustrated on separate Web posts by Judith Matloff on the Columbia Journalism Review entitled “Covering Kidnap Victims”, and by Adam L. Penenberg in his column/blog post entitled Media Hack published at “Wired”. Penenberg writes:

“What happens if a publication breaks an embargo? It depends. If it’s inadvertent — because the writer misread the date and time on the release; an editor pushes an article in his queue to press; or a reporter receives an issue of a journal early and didn’t know the story was embargoed — the publication or publicist will merely lift the embargo and life goes on. If it’s more egregious, a journal may publicly shame the perp or the publication in an e-mail to the other journalists on the beat, and blacklist the reporter, which can cause migraines for anyone dependent on them…”

In the same note, Jon Geer, in his post entitled Are Embargoes a thing of the past?, writes a similar experience with news embargoes, first as a news reporter, then as a public relations (PR) person. He outlined several points to take into account before dispatching a news embargo, and some of which includes:

1. Who is on the embargo list, and who’s being left off?

2. Do you trust those who will get the news under embargo to keep their word?

3. Are you risking alienating others who didn’t get the news under embargo?

4. Does the embargo significantly improve your odds of getting media coverage, or is it just a tactic you’re using out of habit?

5. What will you do if someone breaks the embargo?

A news analysis by Michael Bush posted on PRweekUS.com dated December 12, 2007 highlighted the constant nature of news embargo. Although various kinds of medium surfaced due to the advent of technology and the Internet, one thing that remained on the face of news reportage was embargo. A fine example cited by Bush in his post was the treatment made by The New York Times on an embargo release by the World Health Organization. It also mentioned an interesting light on the issue of embargo policies on certain media institutions.

Another “moving” post concerning the issue of news embargo was discussed by Bob Steele on his entry entitled Blackout more like a Copout “Poynter Online”. He says:

“…Hiding behind false logic, the news organizations involved in this deal (embargo) failed their readers and viewers and delivered a serious hit to the principle of journalistic independence.”

Maxine Clarke, on a August 29, 2007, made an evaluative analysis on the pros and cons of the news embargo system.

Kathryn Wenner, through the American Journalism Review, writes:

“News embargoes The very idea of them seems to go against the journalistic grain, yet reporters have lived with them for years, mostly in routine fashion.

A lot of science and medical journalists–working in a field in which embargoes are common–appreciate having official release dates for news, for the same reasons that officials use them: They level the playing field between news organizations of varying sizes and improve stories because reporters have more time to digest and flesh out complex topics. Newspapers sign embargo agreements with medical and scientific journals all…”

V. PERSONAL INSIGHTS

Now that the nature and coverage of news embargo and kidnapping have already been discussed, let’s hear it from the students of Mr. Manuel L. Quezon III’s Online Journalism/Newsroom Technology (JOURN-110) Class in Colegio de San Juan de Letran Manila.

1. Joey Garcia
2. Erickson Beco
3. Jennylyn Chua
4. Honey Marion Cabanza
5. Janice Ianne Miguel