Media warmongeringPress calls for more violence in Mindanao

A number of news reports published and aired the sentiments of families and friends of the soldiers. Even though the MILF suffered casualties, the press barely mentioned their stories. One ABS-CBN report did touch on the matter: “Habang binababa ang bangkay ng mga sundalo, biglang naghuramentado ang isang babaeng bitbit ang isang itak, asawa siya ng isa sa walong mga rebelde na napatay din sa engkwentro. Nagwala rin ang kanyang anak (While the soldiers were being brought down, a woman carrying a bolo knife ran amok. She was the wife of one of the eight rebels killed in the encounter. Her child was also enraged).” (Bandila, Oct. 19)

The number of people displaced by the recent clashes was estimated at 20,000. News and commentary paid attention to the statistics (death toll, budget, etc.) but left out an entire perspective—the reality of living in a state of fear or hate and its effect on daily life, thus making the story incomplete.

Members of civil society groups and experts did try to provide information on and analyses of the situation in Mindanao. Some public forums and online sites did present their views, but the mainstream media gave them little airtime or space.

Part of a larger reality

Media coverage becomes problematic when it limits reporting to body counts and divorces violence from its causes. It makes it easier for the press, as well as the public, to favor retaliation because the effects of violence are very visible and conflict highlights the differences and distrust among players.

Several personalities called for an “all-out war” against the MILF, forcing the Aquino administration to respond with an “all-out justice” policy. The press joined the fray:

TV Patrol polls on Oct. 20 and 21:

“Dapat na bang suspendihin ng gobyerno ang peace talks at magdeklara ng all-out war laban sa MILF (Should the government suspend peace talks and declare an all-out war against the MILF)?”

A: Oo (Yes, 97 percent)

B. Hindi (No, 3 percent)

“Sa kabila ng panibagong mga pag-atake ng MILF sa mga sundalo sa Zamboanga, sang-ayon ba kayo sa desisyon ng Pang. Aquino na huwag lusubin ang kampo ng MILF sa Al-Barka (Despite the recent MILF attacks against soldiers in Zamboanga, do you agree with the decision of President Aquino not to attack the MILF camp in Al-Barka)?”

A: Oo (Yes, 11 percent)

B. Hindi (No, 89 percent)

Inquirer columnist Ramon Tulfo resorted to name calling while disagreeing with the government’s position: “Compared to Erap, President Noy is babakla-bakla—a weakling—since he’s trying to pacify people who respect authority only when it wields a gun.” (“What kind of mentality does P-Noy have?”, On Target, Oct. 27, p. A22)

Without providing background and context, the press cannot contribute to the public’s understanding of complex issues and its appreciation of the consequences of such government actions as abandoning peace talks or attacking MILF camps.

Neither the news reports nor the opinion pieces helped the public to better understand the controversy surrounding the P5-million fund for the Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute (BLMI). Instead, the coverage added to the confusion by speculating why the government gave the amount to the MILF and how the group plans to use it.

TV Patrol in its Oct. 27 poll thus asked its viewers:

“Sang-ayon ba kayo sa pagbibigay ng pangulo ng pera ng bayan sa MILF (Do you agree with the President’s granting of public funds to the MILF)?”

A: Oo (Yes, 10 percent)

B. Hindi (No, 90 percent)

TV5’s Lourd de Veyra commented that there was nothing wrong with the BLMI grant—while the network flashed images of AK-47 assault rifles and bombs. (Aksyon, Oct. 27)

Continuing process

Few of the news organizations really bothered to explain the history of the armed conflict in Mindanao, which started in the late 1960s, and how the peace process has evolved.

But some blogs and online sites did make up for the shortcomings of the old media by providing more background and comprehensive reports. The emotional response to the death of soldiers is understandable. But contextualized coverage would have tempered the calls to cancel the peace process and the anger stoked by inaccurate reports and fed by residual prejudice against Muslims in general. The following articles explained and verified the initial accounts of what happened on the field by providing a clearer picture of what led to the Basilan encounter and subsequent skirmishes:

• “The Al-Barka Basilan Incident” by Dana Batnag, Oct. 25)
• “Why the fiasco in Basilan” by Maria A. Ressa, Oct.26)
• “Twin Evils” by Inday Espina Varona, Oct. 26).

Glenda Gloria took the coverage to another direction, providing significant inputs to the story as she comments on the President’s resolve to continue with the peace process. (“Your war, our fatal assumptions”, Oct. 22)

MindaNews also continued to provide quality and relevant reports on events in Mindanao, its people, and on issues other than the conflict there. It also has a section which compiles all the posts on the peace process.

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