Re-elected governor confronts journalist (UPDATED)

CMFR/Philippines – The governor-elect of the province of Cotabato allegedly confronted a journalist in a radio station in Kidapawan City last 21 May 2013 because of her disagreement with the election-related reports published in the latter’s paper a few days before the incident. But she said she was in the station only to tape her regular radio station and only looked for the journalist to complain about her reports. She said she was not angry at all.

Re-elected governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza was at the dxND-AM newsroom in the afternoon of May 21 where she looked for journalist Malu Cadelina Manar to complain about her reports on complaints about electoral fraud raised by Mendoza’s rival, former Cotabato governor Emmanuel Piñol.

The reports were published in Sun.Star Davao (“Pinol moves for exclusion of 2 towns in canvassing”) and in MindaNews.com (“Piñol flips, files electoral protest in Cotabato”) last May 18.

But in a letter to CMFR last 30 May 2013, Mendoza said she was at the radio station for the taping of her regular radio program when she looked for Manar, who is head of the research department of the Notre Dame Broadcasting Corporation (the parent company of dxND-AM), and a correspondent for the newspaper Sun.Star Davao and the online news site MindaNews.com

Manar, in an e-mail to CMFR last 28 May 2013, said that Mendoza told her she would “deal with” the incident.  She said Mendoza should have “accorded me respect because she was in my own office.”

“Contrary to what was reported, I was not angry or mad. I was surprised, because she is already Malu Manar (an established journalist in our province),” Mendoza told CMFR in a phone interview on the same date as her letter to CMFR.

“I have not threatened her. In fact, Malu Manar already sent me a text (message) apologizing,” Mendoza claimed.

Mendoza explained that “What I said was “I’ll deal with it professionally,” that’s why I wrote to Sun.Star and MindaNews.”

In a Sun.Star Davao report last May 26, Mendoza was said to have sent a letter to the editor saying that Manar never interviewed her and that Manar’s figures (count of votes) in her  Sun.Star Davao report were inaccurate.

Mendoza has asked Sun.Star Davao to “take appropriate action on the said conduct and actuations of Manar.” (“North Cotabato guv reacts to Sun.Star Davao story“)

Manar however, in the same e-mail to CMFR, denies any bias against Mendoza and said the figures in her reports were from the Commission on Elections.

“I did not interview her but I have listened to her interview over a local radio station here telling the public that she won (the gubernatorial election) ‘fair and square’,” Manar said.

Mendoza, however, told CMFR she can’t remember saying what Manar quoted her as saying in the latter’s reports. She added that she always said “no comment” because she had not yet studied the electoral fraud accusation with her lawyers.

On 13 May 2013, the Philippines held mid-term elections for the Senate, the House of Representatives, and local government posts. It was the second fully-automated elections in the country’s history.

Kidapawan City is the capital of Cotabato, which is some 1,500 kilometers from Manila.