A dramatic rehash

JEERS TO “Kidnap”, an ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs documentary aired last July 13, for putting drama above new information on the abduction of the Ces Drilon news team.

“Kidnap” told the story of the abduction of senior correspondent Cecilia Victoria “Ces” Drilon, cameraman Jimmyfred “Jimmy” Encarnacion, and assistant cameraman Angelo “Angel” Valderama from their perspective. Drilon and company shared the details of their nine day-captivity (June 8 to 17) including the difficulties they had while in the jungles of Sulu with their abductors.

Except for the actual video footage and phone conversations with family and negotiators of Drilon, “Kidnap” was a rehash of what the public already saw in the news coverage. Understandably, Drilon and her team became very emotional as they recalled what happened to them but did not tell viewers what they said they have learned from the experience.

Although ABS-CBN 2 provided a warning at the beginning of the documentary that some videos were dramatizations unless labeled “actual footage”, it would have been better if the labels were consistent throughout the show just to avoid the confusion.

In an actual footage shown, there was a man whose face was pixilated. “Kidnap” should have explained why this particular man’s identity was not revealed when those of all the others were.

Obviously missing from the “documentary” was Mindanao State University professor Octavio Dinampo. If ABS-CBN 2 really wants the public to know about the ordeal of those kidnapped, then Dinampo should have been there to tell his side of the story as well. This is just fair to the professor who is now being questioned for his alleged involvement in the abduction.

Neither did “Kidnap” address such important issues as the possible ethical lapses by Drilon, the consequences of the news team’s actions to the kidnap-for-ransom-group Abu Sayyaf (ASG) and the public’s perception of it, whether ransom was paid or not, and who were responsible for the crime — the Isnajis, the ASG, Radullan Sahiron, and/or Jumail “Mameng” Biyaw.

In the end, ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs head Maria Ressa explained that Drilon was facing a three-month suspension for disobeying orders and putting herself, her team, and the company in danger. As if to emphasize that what Drilon was getting was a light rap on the knuckles, Ressa said Drilon would not be punished with termination because “she is Ces Drilon,” and praised her for being courageous, fearless, and “a role model for other journalists.”

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