SONA protesters detain Zambo-based journalist

CMFR/ PHILIPPINES – Protesters detained Zamboanga-based journalist during the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 27.

eMedia reporter and anchor Gil Climaco was covering the SONA and taking videos of the protest along Commonwealth, Quezon City when members of Bayan Southern Tagalog mistook him for an intelligence officer and arrested him. The group detained Climaco inside a jeepney along with two other police officers who allegedly “infiltrated” the group’s activity.

Climaco was wearing a press ID during coverage and insisted that he was a member of the media. According to eMedia, the group deleted all the files in Climaco’s camera during his detention.

Bayan Southern Tagalog apologized and released Climaco after the group confirmed that he was a Zamboanga-based journalist.