Feeding Frenzy: Journalists’ Shameful Treatment of ASG Victim

Screengrab from Rappler’s official YouTube account.

JEERS TO several journalists for aggravating the trauma of a recently freed kidnap victim by asking questions that forced her to relive her experience in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

Held captive by the ASG for more than nine months, Marites Flor was finally released Friday, June 24. Flor was one of the four people kidnapped by the ASG from Samal Island in September last year. The others were her Canadian fiancé Robert Hall, another Canadian national John Ridsdel, and Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad.  Both Canadians were beheaded in April and June, respectively.  Sekkingstad is still in the hands of the ASG.

After her release in Sulu, Flor was flown to Davao City to meet President Rodrigo Duterte. When she was presented to the media, the reporters present deluged her with a barrage of questions. In a video released by Rappler (“Released kidnap victim Marites Flor recounts her ordeal with the Abu Sayyaf”), Flor is seen surrounded by several reporters who were overwhelming her with numerous questions forcing her to recall how her captors treated her in addition to the details of how she was released.

The feeding frenzy included ABS-CBN News reporter Doris Bigornia asking Flor whether she thought she might be beheaded next.  GMA News reporter Steve Dailisan also asked Flor to recall the events the day her fiancé, Robert Hall, was beheaded.

This prompted other reporters to press the already crying Flor about the beheading of Hall—asking questions such as “Masaya sila?” (Were the ASG celebrating?)   “Pinugutan ba sa harap mo?” (Was Hall beheaded in your presence?)  and “Nagmakaawa ka ba?” (Did you beg for mercy?). During the same interview, another man asked Flor whether she was abused by her captors.

Not only the questions but also the setup of the interview was disturbing: microphones and cameras were shoved to her face without regard for her feelings.

A longer video posted on Youtube by a user named Duterte Digong  showed that it was incoming Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jess Dureza who was initially being interviewed  by the media, but who referred reporters to Flor.

The following day, MindaNews published a story on the call of humanitarian worker and former ASG hostage Milet Mendoza for the media and politicians to be sensitive in treating freed kidnap victims (“Former Abu Sayyaf captive to officials and media: Please be sensitive”). In the report, Mendoza slammed the “disaster pornography” of the media. Mendoza added that this insensitivity “doubly victimizes” Flor.

CMFR recently jeered ABS-CBN 2’s TV Patrol and GMA-7’s 24 Oras interview of rape survivors in a manner that forced them to relive their ordeal (“Van Rape’ Survivors: Violated Twice Over”).