CEBU CITY–THE KAPISANAN ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) in Cebu together with other media groups will start holding training programs on how to use firearms next year.
Alarmed by Thursday’s killing of radio reporter George Benaojan, KBP-Cebu president Edward Abad said yesterday he was endorsing the plan to arm the media.
Abad, who manages ABC-21 here, said Benaojan’s death convinced him that practicing journalists, particularly those who had been getting threats, should not only be armed, they should get proper training on how to use firearms.
Benaojan, 27, senior reporter of radio station dyDD Bantay Radyo, was shot four times by a lone gunman in front of his merchandise store at the South Central Market mini mall in Barangay Lawaan, Talisay City, at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday. He died three hours later at Chong Hua Hospital in this city.
Police said Benaojan was killed by a gun-for-hire who had a pending warrant for murder and robbery. It was not known if the killing was related to the victim’s job in media.
Chief Insp. Juanito Enguerra, head of the Provincial Intelligence and Investigation Bureau (PIIB), said the suspect was identified by eyewitness Adriano "Jammy" Llanos, a friend of Benaojan’s.
Llanos said Benaojan was a licensed gun owner but, unfortunately, at the time of the attack, he had left his gun in his store.
Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) director Supt. Vicente Loot said he was not opposed to the proposal of arming the media. However, he said this was not necessary if journalists would practice fairness in their reports and commentaries.
"Media should be fair. They should report facts and real issues and not resort to personal attacks. It’s true that the pen is mightier than the sword. You can write, you can shout to the whole world about alleged anomalies or illegal deeds as long as they’re within the ethical standards of broadcasting," Loot said in Cebuano and English.
