Zamboanga Journalist, Berated And Almost Attack For Article He Wrote About Influential Politician

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga City / 16 Jun) A veteran journalist here was almost attacked by an irate staff of a local politician who accused and berated the writer for an article he wrote for a weekly newspaper in Zamboanga City.

Jun Feliciano was first confronted by Councilor Abdurahman Nuno after he felt alluded by the story about an unnamed politician who was allegedly lobbying for his wife to be included in the list of the Laban ng Demokrating Pilipino party for next year's elections.

Nuno's name was not even mentioned in Feliciano's story published on the Zamboanga Star on Thursday. Feliciano was covering the session when he was berated by Nuno, who is also the chairman of an association of village chieftains here, radio reports said.

Television news footage also showed an unidentified man trying to attack Feliciano inside the session hall of the Zamboanga City Council after the journalist and Nuno had a heated argument. Nuno was seen pointing fingers at Feliciano's face and later shouted at him in front of many people, but other officials and reporters pacified them and prevented what could be a brawl.

"I was berated and reprimanded by the official, who felt alluded by the story. I respect him very much, but he should also respect my person. We are only doing our job here, there's nothing personal," Feliciano told reporters.

Vice Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco said she would ensure that the incident will not happen again. "The session was briefly halted by the commotion and we don't want this incident to happen again. There will be more security men inside the session hall," she told the Zamboanga Journal.

Nuno was in the news after he accompanied a failed independent mayoralty candidate Lepeng Wee for a meeting with Mayor Celso Lobregat. The meeting, Nuno said, was all about business that Wee is planning to put up in Zamboanga City.

Lobregat, the leader of the local LDP party, and Wee, a wealthy businessman, were political rivals.

Other councilors also witnessed the incident. "It is incumbent upon councilors to be statesman-like and maintain decorum during (council) sessions," Councilor Kim Elago told reporters.

It was unknown if Feliciano would file charges with the ethics committee of the City Council, but Climaco said the journalist have not lodge any complaint. Many journalists have criticized Nuno for his acts and some feared that it may be used as an example in dealing with subsequent similar instances against journalists here.

Different media groups in Zamboanga City are yet to issue statements about the incident. Feliciano has been a journalists for the past three decades and recipients of many awards for his stories.

Last month, a journalist in Laguna province, Iring Maranan, was also attacked by a Councilor Edgardo Adajar inside the session hall of the San Pablo City because of a story he wrote in newspaper Deretso Balita. The May 16 attack, witnessed by many people and journalists, was condemned by local and foreign media groups.