Philippine Army orders probe into media complaints against officer in Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 6, 2008) – The Philippine Army has ordered an investigation into a controversial officer accused of berating a journalist covering a fire that razed an ammo dump inside a military base in Mindanao.

Lt. Col. John Oswald Bucu, camp commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division in Maguindanao province, berated Loreto Rosario, of the Catholic radio station dxMS in Cotabato City, while reporting about an ammo dump which exploded October 31.

The officer also seized Rosario’s cellular phones and brought him at the camp’s public information office where Bucu continued to lambaste the journalist in front of soldiers.

Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, the army division spokesman, who knew Rosario, has already apologized to the journalist, but Bucu remains defiant despite mounting calls from media groups for the military to discipline the officer.

Other journalists covering the fire were also prevented from getting near the ammo dump even after the blaze was over. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines has already demanded the military to discipline Bucu. His superiors have ignored these calls.

Bucu accused Rosario of intruding inside the camp and said that if not for him, soldiers could have shot the journalist, who has been covering the military the past years, reports said.

Journalists in Cotabato City have already boycotted coverage of the army division headquarters and demanded that relief of Bucu.

”The NUJP is demanding that the AFP impose strong sanctions against Bucu for his clear assault on press freedom,” the media organization said in a statement.

Maj. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer, 6th Infantry Division commander, has not responded to the NUJP demand, but journalists vowed to bring this to the attention of Defense Secy. Gilberto Teodoro and Philippine Army Chief Gen. Victor Ibrado.

Ibrado has already ordered an investigation into the NUJP complaints against Bucu, according to Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, the Philippine Army spokesman.

“General Victor Ibrado has already ordered General (Raymundo) Ferrer to conduct an investigation on the matter,” Brawner told the Mindanao Examiner. Brawner said the embattled army officer insisted he was just protecting Rosario who was trying to get near the burning ammo dump.

Both Ferrer and Bucu are currently in Manila because of the ongoing investigations into the fire that destroyed the ammo dump.

The NUJP said Rosario’s case was not the first time that Bucu has targeted journalists. Two years ago, at a gathering of reporters at the headquarters of the Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade in North Cotabato, Bucu allegedly branded NUJP Kidapawan chapter president Malu Manar a member of the communist rebel group New People’s Army.

Manar is also the program director of the Catholic radio station dxND in North Cotabato.

“We understand Ando has apologized for the incident, which speaks well of Ando but highlights the utter arrogance of Bucu. The only conclusion we can draw is that Bucu thinks he can get away with what he did, just as many of the brains behind the scores of unsolved media murders do. Even more disturbing, however, he is clear proof of the culture of impunity that has thrived in this country because of official inaction, even apathy, towards continued attacks on media.”

“Indeed, we would not be surprised if Bucu had taken his cue to harass Rosario or, earlier, to publicly slander Manar, from this government’s actual attempts to muzzle the independent Philippine press, as we saw in the short-lived state of emergency of February 2006 and the more recent arrest of journalists covering the Manila Peninsula incident last year. The AFP should impose on Bucu the sanctions he so richly deserves for his clear assault on press freedom. Failure to do so will only reinforce the perception that there is, at best, tacit official approval of attempts to silence the media,” an Asian Press report, quoting the NUJP, said Thursday. (Mindanao Examiner)

Discipline colonel who threatened Cotabato reporter - NUJP

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippine demands that the Armed Forces of the Philippines discipline one Lieutenant Colonel John Oswald Bucu, camp commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, for threatening Loreto Rosario, reporter of radio dxMS of the Notre Dame Broadcasting Corporation in Cotabato City, who was covering the fire that razed the unit’s ammunition dump last Friday, October 31.

It was bad enough that Bucu berated Rosario, a member of the NUJP Cotabato chapter, who was merely carrying out his duties as a journalist in covering the fire at the military camp and properly identified himself by showing the officer his identification card.

Surely, Bucu, if he was paying any attention at all, would have known that Rosario has been covering the division for years and could not, therefore, be an “intruder” with no business covering the fire.

But this supposed “officer and gentleman” went on to confiscate Rosario’s identification card and cellular phone and also told the reporter, “If it were not for me, my men would have shot you.”
Not satisfied, Bucu had the temerity to continue berating Rosario in the office of the division spokesman, Colonel Julieto Ando.

We understand it was this same Bucu who branded NUJP Kidapawan chapter president Malu Cadelina Manar, program director of Catholic station dxND in North Cotabato, a “member” of the New People’s Army at a gathering of reporters at the headquarters of the Army’s 602nd Brigade in Carmen, North Cotabato some two years ago.

Bucu is clearly a disgrace to the uniform he wears.

Even more disturbing, however, he is clear proof of the culture of impunity that has thrived in this country because of official inaction, even apathy, towards continued attacks on media.
We understand Ando has apologized for the incident. Which speaks well of Ando but highlights the utter arrogance of Bucu. The only conclusion we can draw is that Bucu thinks he can get away with what he did, just as many of the brains behind the scores of unsolved media murders do.
Indeed, we would not be surprised if Bucu had taken his cue to harass Rosario or, earlier, to publicly slander Manar, from this government’s actual attempts to muzzle the independent Philippine press, as we saw in the short-lived state of emergency of February 2006 and the more recent arrest of journalists covering the Manila Peninsula incident last year.

The AFP should impose on Bucu the sanctions he so richly deserves for his clear assault on press freedom. Failure to do so will only reinforce the perception that there is, at best, tacit official approval of attempts to silence the media.(AsianPress.net)

Army colonel threatens Cotabato radio reporter on coverage

NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS OF THE PHILIPPINES.

Alert
November 3, 2008

An Army colonel threatened a radio reporter in Cotabato City who was covering the fire late last week that razed an ammunition dump in Camp Siongco, headquarters of the 6th Infantry Division, in Awang,Maguindanao.

NUJP chapters in central Mindanao reported that Col. John Oswald Bucu, commander of the 6th ID’s Headquarters Service Battalion, berated Loreto Rosario, reporter of radio station dxMS and member of the NUJP chapter in Cotabato City, calling him an “intruder.”

The officer also said if not for him, his men could have shot Rosario.

Not content, he confiscated the reporter’s press card and mobile phone then took him to the office of division spokesman Colonel Julieto Ando, where he continued to lambaste Rosario.
Reports say while Ando has apologized for Bucu’s behavior over dxMS 6th ID commander General Raymundo Ferrer and Bucu have remained silent on the matter.

The Cotabato City chapter of the NUJP has declared Bucu ‘persona non grata’ and demanded his personal apology. Its members have also agreed to boycott coverage of the division until Ferrer is replaced asdivision commander.

The NUJP national office is demanding that the AFP impose strong sanctions against Bucu for ‘his clear assault on press freedom,” as it noted this is not the first time the colonel has targeted journalists.

Two years ago, at a gathering of reporters at the headquarters of the Army’s 602nd Brigade in Carmen, North Cotabato, Bucu branded NUJP Kidapawan chapter president Malu Cadelina Manar, program director of Catholic station dxND in North Cotabato, a “member” of the New People’s Army.(IFJ-NUJP Media Safety Office)

Erring Army official's apology to media asked

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines (Philippine News Agency / Nov. 3, 2008) — Members of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in Cotabato City have asked Army Col. John Oswald Bucu (earlier identified as Aswald Buco) of the 6th Infantry Division to apologize over local radio stations for ‘mistreating’ a broadcast journalist at the height of the Friday dawn fire that razed the storage facility of the Army’s 12th Field Support Service Unit at Camp Siongco.

Bucu is the commanding officer of the 6th Infantry Division's Headquarters Service Battalion. Bucu, according to a statement issued by NUJP Cotabato City, berated dxMS reporter Loreto Rosario for getting too close to the fire scene and called him an intruder.

Rosario is a reporter of Notre Dame Broadcasting Corporation and a member of the NUJP Cotabato City chapter.

“Surprisingly, though, Bucu allowed a crew of a local television outfit to position themselves at the scene and huddle with ranking officials of the 6th Infantry Division as the fire destroyed some P10 million worth of old ammunition stored inside the facility,” the statement said.

Bucu, according to NUJP, confiscated Rosario’s press identification card and his mobile phone and brought him to the office of 6th Infantry Division spokesman Col. Julieto Ando, where he continued to reprimand the radio reporter.

“I was reprimanded as if I was a terrorist who was caught doing something bad inside the camp,” Rosario told colleagues.

Ando has apologized for Bucu’s misbehavior over Catholic station dxMS here last Saturday, but the commander of the 6th Infantry Division, Lt. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer, and Bucu himself have both remained silent on the issue.

Bucu first hogged the airwaves when he branded as a “member” of the New People’s Army rebels the president of the NUJP chapter in Kidapawan City who is the program director of the Catholic station dxND in North Cotabato, during a gathering of reporters at the headquarters of the Army’s 602nd Brigade in Carmen, North Cotabato some two years ago. (PNA)

Reporter hits harassment by Army colonel

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Philippine Daily Inquirer / Nov. 3, 2008) - A radio reporter here has complained of harassment by an Army colonel who allegedly berated him for entering the 6th Infantry Division at the height of a fire that razed an ammunition dump Friday.

“He was yelling at me, his eyes as if on fire, and berated me when he found me inside the camp near the ammunition dump,” Loreto Rosario of Church-run Radio DXMS, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net).

He identified the official as Lt. Col. Aswald Buco, 6th ID camp commander.

Buco could not be reached for comment but Col. Julieto Ando, 6th ID spokesperson, apologized for and in behalf of Buco.

“I would like to apologize to Mr. Rosario,” Ando said, adding that the situation at the time of the fire was “high and there was a state of confusion.”

Ando explained that Buco was the camp commander and he would like to make sure nobody who was not allowed at the camp could come closer to the ammunition dump where the fire started at 4:15 a.m.

“There’s no problem if I was told to distance myself from the fire scene,” according to Rosario. “What dismayed me was his yelling at me as if I am his subordinate, as if I am a criminal, as if I did not present my press card.”

“You are an intruder, it’s good that my men did not shoot you,” Rosario quoted Buco as telling him. “If they have shot me, that was their problem, I did not violate any rule,” he said.

Rosario maintained that he came to the camp as a reporter with proper identification cards to report what was going on when there was a 30-minute powerful and continuous explosion.

“I coordinated with Maj. Abaja, deputy spokesperson, and he allowed me entry,” Rosario said.
“Besides, the main gate was open when I arrived so I proceeded to the fire scene,” Rosario, who has been covering the 6th ID beat for the past five years, said.

Rosario also accused Buco of taking his two mobile phones and press card and handed them over to his men. But Rosario grabbed them and left. He proceeded to the office of Ando.

Buco, with his heavily armed bodyguards in tow, followed Rosario at Ando’s office.

There he berated Rosario anew in front of Ando and accused him of being an “intruder.”
Ferdinand Cabrera, secretary general of National Union of Journalists of the Philippines-Cotabato chapter, condemned Buco’s actuation and called for an investigation.

“That was very unprofessional and uncalled for an Army officer,” Cabrera said.
It was the second case of media harassment inside the 6th ID.

Last week, about 10 policemen assigned with the police station of Mother Kabuntalan, Shariff Kabunsuan were berated and given a dressing down by an Army lieutenant of the 6th Infantry Battalion.

The Army lieutenant, known as Lt. Capuyan, has been relieved and is undergoing investigation, according to Ando. (Edwin O. Fernandez - Philippine Daily Inquirer)