Another media organization has appealed to the Aquino government to “spare" journalists in its quest for justice for the eight Hong Kong tourists who were killed during the August 23 hostage-taking incident in Manila.
In a statement, the National Press Club (NPC) said holding the media liable for the incident would “only [bring] out bad impressions that the government is muzzling the press in the guise of punishing journalists."
NPC issued the statement hours before President Benigno Aquino III said two radio personalities and three networks were among those who could be held liable for the hostage tragedy based on the recommendations of the inter-agency panel that looked into the incident.
Aquino, at a press briefing in Malacañang, identified the two radio personalities as Erwin Tulfo and Michael Rogas, both from Radyo Mo Nationwide (RMN). He did not identify the three networks, but Justice secretary Leila de Lima, head of the investigating panel, said they were ABS-CBN, TV5 and GMA Network.
In its statement, the NPC cited the cases of Tulfo and Rogas, saying by no stretch of the imagination could it be proven that it was their interview of Rolando Mendoza, the hostage-taker, which caused the deaths of the hostages.
“Tulfo and Rogas were even helping to cool down the hostage-taker," the NPC said, noting that it was the arrest of Mendoza’s brother, SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza, which sent him into a killing frenzy.