DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 17 March) – “We don’t really quarrel with the media, we intend to take care of the media as these are our partners,” the Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO) head Angel Sumagaysay said during a press conference Thursday.
This was the promise of the city government to journalists who would be covering this year’s Araw ng Dabaw.
A year and a day ago, and three months as a reporter for a local newspaper, I remember being awash with emotions as an ordinary newbie journalist doing my first coverage of Araw ng Dabaw.
The story sounds simple. The call time was 6:00 A.M., but I was there 10 minutes early to be early in the media box but it was quite far. Minutes passed, it wasn’t 7am yet, but the sun’s heat seemed to gnaw at us and distracted the reporters from covering the event.
It wasn’t just us from the media, others also complained about how far the area was.
The other reporters went to another platform with a roof, nearer and much more comfortable. It was not the intended media box. One of my colleagues went there, followed by two others, until about half of our number filled that shaded platform. I intended to go there as I could no longer bear the heat.
I thought I never broke any rule. I went from the media box, went around to the back of the stage, to the shaded area, but an auxiliary from the Public Safety and Security Office barred my way.
“Asa man ka ‘dong? (Where are you going?),” the auxiliary asked.
“Didto ra unta ko sa landong, Sir, namalhin na man sad gud ang uban (I intend to go to the shaded area, Sir, as the others had also gone there),” I answered.
“Bawal ang media didto, didto ra mo sa media box (Media are not allowed there, you have to remain in the media box),” he answered back.
“Sir, hangyo lang unta sir, ang init sir gapamaak na (I’m just appealing, Sir, because the heat is already untolerable),” I respectfully said.
In no time, the auxiliary tried to grab my collar and exclaimed “Haaaa!” as if I tried to, should I say, disrespect him or question his authority. Before he could finish it, I raised both my hands.
“Sir, media ko sir. Okay ra pod nga dili ko makaadto didto. Ayaw lang pag-ana sir (Sir, I’m from the media. It’s okay if I can’t go there, just don’t treat me like that),” I calmly said.
He eventually realized what he had done, and let me in. He never apologized, but I see he was surprised.
That was an experience I could not forget. The day after, it even made the headlines of the local newspaper and local radio broadcasters made it the topic for a day. They said they also experienced these not just during Araw ng Dabaw but in other situations where “other certain media entities were favored” over them.
Fast forward, a year later, I was back to cover the parade for the second time – but with a new purpose in mind. Will the PSSO really improve from the situation a year ago?
I intended to go through the C.M. Recto Avenue, to go to the San Pedro Square. From Roxas Avenue, I had to traverse the entirety of C.M. Recto, turn left to Osmeña Park, go straight near City Hall Drive, then to the corner Bolton Street, near a branch of fastfood chain Chowking.
Before a PSSO officer could start to tell me where I was heading, I asked him. “Sir, pwede ba ko mosulod sa media box (Can I go to the media box)?”
He answered: “Agi lang sa gilid dong, padaplin lang (Stay on the side, just keep going straight).”
I abided, but a police officer would try to stop me from going.
“Asa diay ka, Sir?” said the lone police officer with the last name “Ayuban” manning the area. He was with other auxiliaries but they concentrated on other things.
“Sir, pwede man daw ko moagi sa daplin sir, ingon sa auxiliary (Sir, I could go straight to the media box, according to the auxiliary),” I said.
“Taga-asang media diay ka Sir? (From what media outlet are you).”
“Taga-MindaNews ko.”
“Sir, bawal baya paagian diri (Sir, it’s prohibited to pass here),” he answered authoritatively.
I replied, “Unya sir, unsaon man nako pag-abot sa media box if dili ko kaagi diri? (Then, Sir, how do I get to the media box if I can’t pass through here?).”
If I should obey the police officer, I had to go back and turn around the back of the stage.
He thought for about two minutes, he was not answering me, and eventually said, “Sige, agi lang, suota imong ID, agi sa daplin (Okay, just pass through, wear your ID, and go by the side)”
I entered through the crowd of human barricades of PSSO and police, went alongside the Parada participants, to go to the media box.
To my (not-so) surprise, the media box was still there – no roof, exposed to the sun’s heat.
Only a few reporters went there. Some would tell me they would cover along the roadsides rather than go to the media box just for them to be frustrated. The VIPs could not be seen in the media box area as well.
But to be fair, once they’re there, reporters may go near the stage or the VIPs in a narrow space as long as they would not interfere with the flow of the parade. Still, there were PSSO officers barricading near the designated media box.
The event ended at 11:51 A.M., as the sun’s heat continued to expose the media as well as the VIPs.
Staying in the vicinity where media was allowed, all I heard were the complaints “iganga oy” and “inita oy”. Both mean “so hot.”
However, during the interview after the event, HQ Productions team lead Harold Quibete apologized to the reporters.
“Sorry kaayo ha, wala’y atop ang media box… Pero sige lang at least makaduol mo sa stage karon (Sorry, the media box doesn’t have a roof, but at least you can get closer to the stage now),” he said. (Ian Carl Espinosa/MindaNews)
