The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and several journalists were red-tagged anew in flyers distributed immediately after journalists held a candle-lighting ceremony in front of the ABS-CBN Northern Mindanao Station in Cagayan de Oro City yesterday, February 28, 2020.
Named in the photo-copied pamphlets are journalists Nonoy Espina (NUJP National Chairman), Inday Espina-Varona, Froilan Gallardo, photojournalist Joey Nacalaban, Pam Orias (NUJP CDO chairperson), Cong Corrales, Renwynx ‘Don’ Morgado, and Loi Algarme.
Radio Station Radyo ni Juan was also branded a ‘communist radio station’ in the pamphlets.
The pamphlet accuses the NUJP of speaking in behalf of and of being a propagandist of the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People’s Army, and the National Democratic Front.
Yesterday’s incident comes in the wake of similar incidents since 2018 which accuses the NUJP and the journalists named above, along with activists, lawyers, members of the academe, and church leaders of being communists and/or supporters of the CPP/NPA/NDF.
The pamphlets were handed over to journalists who attended the protest action in support of ABS-CBN by a tricycle driver who said he was hired and paid P200 by two men and instructed to give the pamphlets to the journalists gathered at the ABS-CBN station.
A day before the protest action, journalist Froilan Gallardo had posted a public appeal for support for the network in Facebook. In the post, Gallardo had announced the time and venue of the protest action.
Reference:
JB R. DEVEZA
NUJP Western Mindanao Media Safety Office
09398475177/09453503455