Reporter claims harassment by water company exec

CMFR/PHILIPPINES- The general manager of a local water company allegedly yelled at a radio reporter doing a story on an alleged cover-up involving his office in Lucena City. Lucena City is the capital of Quezon, a province approximately 145 kilometers south of Manila.

Last 19 October 2011, dwTI radio reporter Ronald Agbaya and dwKI reporter Marlon Yasay went to the office of Quezon Metropolitan Water District (QMWD) to interview its general manager Engineer Enrico Pasumbal on the alleged cover-up of an accident involving the agency’s marked vehicle.

A QMWD-marked vehicle allegedly hit a truck last 8 October 2011. “An unknown QMWD employee told me, in a text message, that Pasumbal attempted to cover up the accident by firing the driver (who was reported in the blotter to be drunk with three others aboard) of the government-marked L300 van which hit a Nissan Navarra truck on the way to Lucena City last 8 October 2011,” Agbaya said.

While seeking an interview with Pasumbal, Agbaya was told that the general manager was busy so he and Yasay decided to interview QMWD Public Information officer Imee Tomacder instead.

“Dahil ayaw magpainterview ni Pasumbal, yung PIO (Tomacder) na lang yung kinausap ko at pumayag naman siyang magpainterview (since Pasumbal did not want to grant an interview, I instead talked with the PIO (Tomacder) and she agreed to be interviewed),” Agbaya told the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR).

But while Agbaya was asking Tomacder about the alleged cover-up, Pasumbal suddenly emerged from his office and started cursing the reporter. “Ano ang sinasabi mong cover-up, cover-up? Kung anu-anong sinasabi mong bang-aw ka. Put– i—mo (What cover up are you talking about?  You are speaking nonsense, crazy. Son of a bitch),” Pasumbal said according to Agbaya.

Agbaya explained to Pasumbal that he wanted the latter’s comment for  the sake of balanced reporting (“Hinihingi ko lang po ang inyong komento para sa balansyadong pamamahayag.”) But Pasumbal ignored the reporter and went back to his room. (The conversation between Agbaya and Pasumbal has been  posted on the reporter’s Facebook account.)

The radio reporter said in Filipino that Pasumbal’s action might have been triggered by the continuing commentaries against him in the local media. Agbaya added that “hindi ako yung’ unang reporter na pinagmumura at pinagsabihan niya ng masasamang salita (I am not the first reporter who received unbecoming and expletive words from him).”

The local chapter of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines is planning to file administrative charges against Pasumbal. NUJP-Quezon chair Ronilo Dagos told CMFR that they are “planning to file administrative complaints before the Local Water Utilities Administration and the Civil Service Commission to eject the general manager from his position in the water agency.”

Dagos added that NUJP will be sending a letter to the governor of Quezon asking for action on the verbal abuse by Pasumbal of  Agbaya. NUJP Quezon held a protest demonstration in front of the QMWD office a few days after the incident.