Alleged harassment incident reported in Abante News plant after fire attack
MANILA, Philippines — Abante News Group on Wednesday reported another alleged harassment attempt at its printing plant in Parañaque City.
Abante News Group General Manager Gil Cabacungan said three men aboard a van arrived at their plant around 8 p.m. on Tuesday and introduced themselves as members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Harassment against @AbanteNews continues just a week after an attempt to torch our plant. 3 men aboard a silver Toyota van arrived at our Paranaque plant on Sept. 17 at 8 pm. They claimed to be from PDEA and they were looking for “media.” PDEA disowned these men.
— Gil Cabacungan (@GilCabacungan) September 18, 2019
The men, Cabacungan said, were looking for the plant manager who was absent before asking for the whereabouts of their deputy manager.
“The 3 men asked for our plant manager but he was absent. So they asked for our deputy manager who refused to be brought to Valley 1 or Paranaque City Hall. Our deputy refused. The men did not press the issue and left after 5 mins since our guards blocked their entry,” Cabacungan said on Twitter.
The 3 men asked for our plant manager but he was absent. So they asked for our deputy manager who refused to be brought to Valley 1 or Paranaque City Hall. Our deputy refused. The men did not press the issue and left after 5 mins since our guards blocked their entry.
— Gil Cabacungan (@GilCabacungan) September 18, 2019
PDEA Public Information Office Chief Derrick Carreon, however, denied sending any of their staff to the printing plant to investigate Abante News.
“[Abante News] immediately went to the police to put the intimidation incident on blotter but the police refused since there was nobody hurt,” Cabacungan said.
“We pressed our case this morning and the police agreed to put it on blotter this pm (afternoon),” he added.
@AbanteNews immediately went to the police to put the intimidation incident on blotter but the police refused since there was nobody hurt. We pressed our case this morning and the police agreed to put it on blotter this pm. Here is a CCTV: pic.twitter.com/Z8xLcKGxxy
— Gil Cabacungan (@GilCabacungan) September 18, 2019
The incident happened merely over a week after four hooded men attacked their printing plant and drenched the printing machines and supplies with gasoline before setting them on fire.
READ: 4 men attack Abante News printing plant in Parañaque City
“[Abante News] will continue to print its brand of news everyday without fail because that is not only our job but our duty as a journalist to our loyal readers. The day we stop running our plant is the day we let the enemies of free press win,” Cabacungan said.
In a separate statement, Abante Managing Editor Fernando Jadulco condemned the incident as he assured that the incident will not stop them from reporting about the truth.
“Mariing kinokondena ng pamunuan ng Abante News Group, ang nangungunang all-Filipino news website at tabloid sa bansa, ang panibagong insidente ng pananakot sa planta ng nasabing pahayagan,” Jadulco said./ac
