Journalism Review Archives | Page 109 of 159

Collapse of Peace Talks: Voices for Peace

SO SWEET to begin with, how did it turn sour so soon? The prospects for peace on this front had never seemed brighter, given the initiatives made by President Rodrigo Duterte to welcome the communists to the negotiating table. No other president seemed as open to the Left than...

Caught in a Tight Spot: “Tokhang for Ransom” and Kidnap-slay Controversy

“THIS IS your police… We serve and protect,” says the message on a wall by the gate of Camp Crame, the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) headquarters along Edsa in Quezon City. But what if the protector becomes the assailant—which seems to be the situation for the national police...

Reporting Project NOAH’s Contribution to Effective Disaster Response

CHEERS TO Rappler for a piece enumerating contributions of Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards) in disaster management in light of the recent news of its impending closure of due to lack of funding. Rappler’s “How does Project NOAH contribute to PH’s disaster management?” recounted the important...

Mamasapano, Two Years On: Painting a Murky Picture

PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE first floated the idea of reopening the investigation of the 2015 Mamasapano clash last October 2016, when he said it was “not really to prosecute people but just to know what happened”. At the time, he also wanted to know who took home the $5...

Misinterpreting Statements

JEERS TO the Manila Bulletin for misrepresenting the European Union’s (EU) planned shift of its funding focus in the Philippine health sector to programs addressing illegal drug use. The headline by the Bulletin’s January 17 banner story, “EU backs war on drugs,” suggested an about-face on the part...

Guns and Gaffes: Finding the Story in the Data

CHEERS TO The Philippine Star for catching a strange “coincidence” in the serial numbers of guns seized in separate encounters in Quezon City. Analyzing data obtained from police spot reports, public press releases and police blotters, the Star reported that the serial numbers of 29 out of 300...

Media Follow Up Derailed

THE NARRATIVE has moved from just the count of casualties and numbers killed. Media have gone into the lives of victims, humanizing the cases listed in police reports. Reports have also recorded the protest of church and civil society leaders, and individuals calling for an end to the...

Reporting #LeniLeaks: Fanning SocMed Speculations

THE PLOT thickens. In the last two weeks, social media personalities have triggered a barrage of anger and outrage, as they released what they claimed as proof of a grand design involving groups overseas to oust the president. #LeniLeaks gave the vice president a central role in the...

Documenting the Drug War: A Befitting Eulogy

CHEERS TO Rappler for a dramatic counter narrative to the police blotter and the information recorded to prove the success of President Duterte’s drug war. The seven-part Impunity series (November-December 2016) featured on multimedia the findings of journalist Patricia Evangelista and her production crew: Paolo Villaluna, Carlo Gabuco,...

Too Early to Crow! Real Count of Firecracker Injuries 2016

CHEERS TO the Philippine Daily Inquirer for challenging the government’s claim that the firecracker casualty rate went down by 60 percent from the previous year. Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial announced on January 1 that there were only 350 casualties since December 21, 2016. In an Inquirer report,...