Religious sect members harass, assault media workers

CMFR/ Philippines – Members of the Philippine religious sect Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) allegedly harassed and assaulted media workers covering the sect’s August 27- 31 protest  against the filing of a criminal complaint against some of their leaders.

On August 28, at least three men carrying placards with the INC logo on it mauled ABS-CBN 2 TV cameraman Melchor Pinlac when he introduced himself as a member of the media. The incident happened at the EDSA Shrine in Ortigas where members of the INC gathered to protest the Department of Justice’s giving due course to  the illegal detention case filed by expelled minister Isaias Samson Jr. against eight leaders of the INC.

An ABS-CBN 2 report quoted Pinlac as saying that “May kumalawit sa leeg ko. Sinuntok ako sa panga, sa tagiliran. Sinasabi nila ‘mga biased kayo!’ tapos pinagtutulak kami (Someone grabbed me by the neck. Punched me on my jaw and on my side. They said we are biased and they pushed us away).”

GMA 7 also reported that dzBB Super Radyo reporter Olan Bola was shoved by the protesters when he tried to stop the mauling.

INC spokesperson Edwil Zabala said in his interviews that the media were welcome to cover the protest and if proven that Pinlac was mauled by members of the INC, these members would be held accountable.

Meanwhile, media organizations and press freedom advocates expressed their disapproval of the said attack.

The National Union of Journalist of the Philippines released a statement on September 2 demanding that the police  “act speedily and directly should Mr. Pinlac and any other colleagues who may have been harassed or hurt during the protest choose to file a complaint “; and calling on the leadership of the INC to “issue a public apology to Mr. Pinlac and Mr. Bola, as well as their networks, and ensure their members’ cooperation should our colleagues choose to take legal action against those who assaulted them.”