Human Rights Watch Researcher Carlos H. Conde’s Ignorant Report on Media Security

Human Rights Watch makes a big deal about the supposed accomplishments of their Asia division researcher Carlos Conde as a journalist by citing his 20 years experience as journalist as well as having been a stringer for New York Times and Herald Tribune.

But as a “journalist” Conde failed miserably.

According to Rappler and GMA News TV, Conde reportedly said “that there is  little evidence of the body’s effort to actively pursue cases of attacks on journalists.”

Oddly enough, neither Rappler nor GMA News TV showed Conde’s basis for his report.

This leads us at the Presidential Task Force on Media Security to assume that there is little evidence that Conde had actually spoken to any of the media workers who were victims of violence.

Because, if he did, Conde would have been told by the victims themselves that the PTFoMS had gotten in touch with the victims or their families upon learning of their misfortune.

PTFoMS Executive Director Joel Sy Egco twitted Conde for failing as a journalist in gathering first hand information on the subject of his report.

“We would have appreciated it if, in gathering data for his report, Mr. Conde had actually talked with media workers who were under threat of violence or were victims of violence. In doing so, we believe they would have told him about how the PTFoMS’ responded to their complaints either by providing security through the PNP or immediately investigating cases of violence against media with the objective of arresting the perpetrator and bringing the appropriate charges against them,” said Egco.

In Philippine vernacular, nagsalsal lang si Conde ng storya. This practice is usually done by stringers struggling to make their quota of stories and what this involves filing a diluted story based on details that other reporters gathered.

What is even more embarrassing is that GMA News TV and Rappler just took Conde’s word for it.

Further on in the statement issued by PTFoMS Executive Director Egco, he recounted the actions undertaken by the task force to provide security for media workers under threat.

In an account of Conde’s report posted in the Rappler dated 12 July 2017, the names of persons killed since President Duterte assumed presidency were mentioned. Among them were, Larry Que, Cris Ibon, Joaquin Briones and Leo Diaz, and Rudy Alicaway.

May we inform you that upon learning of these incidents of violence against media we lost no time in directing PTFoMS member agencies like the NBI, PNP DIDM and Local PNP officials to immediately conduct investigation and file charges before the Department of Justice.

Last year, November 2016, Mr. Virgilio Maganes of DWPR. survived an attempt to kill him. The PTFoMS immediately conducted investigation and filed charges against the shooters. We even provided security for him.

Another case we responded to was that of Mr. Larry Que. The Catanduanes based publisher was shot last Dec. 19, 2016 and died from the wounds he suffered. After thorough investigation, we filed charges against Governor Cua, and 3 others before the DOJ. We also provided security for Que’s bereaved family.

Also mentioned were the names of tabloid columnist Cris Ibon, Leo Diaz of Sultan Kudarat, and Rudy Alicaway of DXPB radio, we immediately requested investigation for a case build up.

MR. Jun Briones name was also mentioned, I even directed my Chief of Staff to go to Masbate and visit his grave and conduct an investigation on the matter.

This is a far cry from what happened during Noynoy Aquino’s term when the cases of journalists who were killed or threatened were relegated to the dust bin.

P. Farol

Writer.