DAVAO CITY, Philippines—A broadcaster who extensively reported on the abduction, rape and murder of Rebelyn Pitao, the daughter of local New People's Army leader Leoncio Pitao, and other alleged military abuses here has taken a 15-day leave of absence from work after receiving threatening text messages.
Jessie Casalda, program manager of the Radio Mindanao Network here, said on Friday that the station's management decided to give Elgin Damasco a break "as a precautionary measure."
Damasco, a reporter who also subs as public affairs program host, told the Inquirer that while he was on board on Monday, he received a text message from an unidentified sender with mobile number 0905-5075829.
"Ka Damasco, mula ng kayong 3 ay naging spokesman ng NPA, matagumpay kayong nanalo sa propaganda laban sa AFP, dahil dyan may reward kayong 3 (Ka Damasco, since the three of you became spokespersons of the New People's Army, the Armed Forces of the Philippines lost in the propaganda war and because of that, a reward awaits the three of you)," he said reading from the text message.
It was not clear who the other broadcasters alluded to in the text message were.
But the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines reported that "burly-looking men" were also seen stalking RMN manager Maximo Solis Jr.
Damasco said after he received the message, he commented that as a journalist, he did not favor anyone in his coverage. He said he also explained he was not acting as NPA spokesperson.
After explaining, Damasco said another text message from the same number came in, which read: "Matapang ka ha…(So you're really tough)."
"I am not directly saying that the military has done this to me, but I have suspicions (some soldiers were behind it)," he said.
Damasco said for the past two months, he has also been tackling reports of military abuses in Davao City’s Paquibato district.
"Our criticisms against the military were based on facts that we gathered from the very people who had been victims of these excesses…How can we be biased against the military when we give them the equal opportunity to air their side? How can we be speaking for the NPA when we are not even praising the communist guerrillas?" he said.
Major Randolph Cabangbang, spokesperson of the Eastern Mindanao Command, said if the threats indeed came from soldiers, then "whoever did it is a coward."
Cabangbang said Elgin always took time to get the military's side and that he felt "he is for us every time he interviews us."
"And I don't think it is from the military," he said of the threatening text messages.
Major Medel Aguilar, commander of the military's 5th Civil Relations Group here, said he could not believe that the threats came from soldiers either although it was possible.
"Because of all the people from the said station, Elgin never fails to get our side on issues affecting the military," he said.
But Damasco said some soldiers were indeed mad at him for his reportage.
He said a Captain Esnani Mai of the Army's 67th Infantry Battalion once accused him of being a rebel.
"He has insisted that we are connected with the NPA," he said.
Aguilar said "it can be possible that a narrow-minded soldier sent the message."
"But it is also very possible that the text message came from other sources purposely to alienate a media practitioner like Elgin, who I consider to be fair and approachable, from the military," he said.
"In light of Damasco's coverage, the text message was clearly meant to intimidate him and all other journalists who have the dedication and the courage to brave the dangerous route of Southern Mindanao to get the real score on the seeming disregard of human rights in these places," the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said in a statement Friday.
