CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – “We don’t need an Ampatuan in Pampanga.”
Thus said the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)-Pampanga Chapter as it condemned the alleged harassment on two television reporters based here by a village chief in Macabebe, Pampanga on May 10.
NUJP-Pampanga Chairman Ashley Manabat said television reporter Patricia Mamangun and cameraman Glendy Sembrano of Infomax 8 recounted their “terrifying experience” to him when they tried to check on the situation of the May 10 elections at a voting center in Barangay Batasan at about 3:30 p.m.
Batasan Barangay Captain Gang Flores and his people reportedly harassed Mamangun and Sembrano when they tried to get video footages of the election at the Batasan Elementary School.
“The NUJP condemns the reported harassment of Infomax reporter Patricia Mamangun and her cameraman on Election Day by Barangay Captain Gang Flores of Batasan, Macabebe, Pampanga. Mamangun and her cameraman were prevented by a group of men led by Flores from covering the conduct of the elections in Barangay Batasan at around 3:30 pm,” said Manabat in a statement.
“Mamangun and Sembrano, who were wearing Comelec media accredited IDs, were shoved by Flores who was shouting invectives and the camera pushed away after they tried to take footages of sample ballots inside the suspiciously near vacant Batasan Elementary School in the said town. Mamangun and her cameraman managed to get away from the ensuing commotion and fortunately emerged unhurt from the said incident,” he added.
Mamangun said they reported the incident to Macabebe town police Chief Insp. Angelito Esteban shortly after it happened.
Manabat was a guest at the Infomax 8 Election Day program and he was able to interview Mamangun after she and Sembrano arrived at their station.
Thus said the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)-Pampanga Chapter as it condemned the alleged harassment on two television reporters based here by a village chief in Macabebe, Pampanga on May 10.
NUJP-Pampanga Chairman Ashley Manabat said television reporter Patricia Mamangun and cameraman Glendy Sembrano of Infomax 8 recounted their “terrifying experience” to him when they tried to check on the situation of the May 10 elections at a voting center in Barangay Batasan at about 3:30 p.m.
Batasan Barangay Captain Gang Flores and his people reportedly harassed Mamangun and Sembrano when they tried to get video footages of the election at the Batasan Elementary School.
“The NUJP condemns the reported harassment of Infomax reporter Patricia Mamangun and her cameraman on Election Day by Barangay Captain Gang Flores of Batasan, Macabebe, Pampanga. Mamangun and her cameraman were prevented by a group of men led by Flores from covering the conduct of the elections in Barangay Batasan at around 3:30 pm,” said Manabat in a statement.
“Mamangun and Sembrano, who were wearing Comelec media accredited IDs, were shoved by Flores who was shouting invectives and the camera pushed away after they tried to take footages of sample ballots inside the suspiciously near vacant Batasan Elementary School in the said town. Mamangun and her cameraman managed to get away from the ensuing commotion and fortunately emerged unhurt from the said incident,” he added.
Mamangun said they reported the incident to Macabebe town police Chief Insp. Angelito Esteban shortly after it happened.
Manabat was a guest at the Infomax 8 Election Day program and he was able to interview Mamangun after she and Sembrano arrived at their station.
