Cowardly attack on Flo Hervias

By Alex P. Vidal

“I have a theory that all abuse, no matter what kind of abuse it is, is foremost an assault on the mind.”—Tara Westover

WE denounce in the strongest possible terms the cowardly physical assault on our colleague in the Philippines press, Florencio “Flo” Hervias, who was attacked by unidentified thugs after his “blocktime” program outside the RMN building in La Paz, Iloilo City on October 7 morning.

I am personally relieved that he was not badly hurt and suffered only minor injuries, unlike our other colleague in Manila, Percival “Percy Lapid”, who was gunned down at 8:30 o’clock in the evening on October 3 in Las Pinas City. Just four days apart.

His co-host in the radio “blocktime” program, “Banwa, binagbinaga”, the quick-moving Roy Cejar, was unscathed. He, too, was apparently a target of the goons.

First and foremost, I thank God that both Flo and Roy, who are also my friends, are now safe.

I know the duo personally and can attest that they aren’t violent; they don’t dabble in broadcasting to intentionally hurt or destroy any public official.

We laud the positive response of the Philippine National Police (PNP), led by Director General Rofolfo Azurin Jr., which has launched an “urgent action” to identify and arrest the perpetrators.

“Tulong-tulong po tayo para patuloy nating maprotektahan ang mga kasamahan nating mamahayag (Let’s all work together for the continuous protection of our friends in the journalism industry),” he added, quoted by reporter Beatrice Pinlac.

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We can’t afford another casualties from our media ranks anywhere in the Philippines on the heels of Percy Lapid’s brazen murder.

Personally, I lost more than a dozen media colleagues ever since the culture of impunity beckoned in the Philippines, supposedly the “freest” country in Asia.

Any attempt from enemies of press freedom and free speech to sow terror against the working press must be met with a loud condemnation.

In a free state—a democratic country like the Philippines—media has a gargantuan role: to mirror what is happening in the society and report the truth to the people no matter who gets hurt.

In most cases of media threats and harassments in the Philippines, the masterminds who hire killers or bullies to harm crusading print and broadcast journalists are guilty of irregularities involving the taxpayers’ money and operators of illegal drugs, illegal gambling, among other forms of criminal activities.

When they are criticized or when they feel alluded to in adversarial commentaries, they take the criticism or expose personally and retaliate violently.

Thus the mastermind or masterminds in the physical abuse on Flo Hervias must’ve been painfully tormented by the issues they carried in their program.

Any public official offended by hard-hitting media commentaries can always go to court and file a case instead of resorting to brutality and violence.

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UNITED States chess master Almario Marlon Quiroz Bernardino Jr. and Susan Grace Tana Neri will act as coaches/guardians of Philippine chess prodigies Alekhine Fabiosa Nouri and Mhage Gerriahlou Fernandez Sebastian when the RP Chess Team participates in the World Juniors Under-20 chess championships in Sardinia, Italy on October 12-23.

With a promise to perform well in the FIDE World Junior Under-20 Chess Championship, the 4-man Philippine team leaves for Sardinia, Italy on October 10.

The team flies to the Palmasera Resort 4 in Cala Gonone, just over an hour’s drive from Olbia Airport and the harbor, according to Bernardino.

The World Junior Chess Championship is an under-20 chess tournament (players must have been under 20 years old on 1 January in the year of competition) organized by the World Chess Federation (FIDE).

The idea was the brainchild of William Ritson-Morry, who organized the 1951 inaugural event to take place in Birmingham, England. Subsequently, it was held every two years until 1973, when an annual schedule was adopted. In 1983, a separate tournament for girls was established.

“We expect these young and talented players to perform well as usual and bring honor to the country,” said coach Neri.

“Go Philippines. Laban Pinas. Laban para sa bayan.” said chief executive officer Grandmaster Jayson Gonzales of the National Chess Federation under the leadership of it’s chairman/president Rep. Prospero “Butch” Arreza Pichay Jr.

Nouri is a Filipino FIDE Master. Named after Russian chess player Alexander Alekhine, Nouri became the youngest FIDE Master in the world at the age of 7 is seeded number 80 in the Open Under 20 division who possessed an Elo Standard rating of 2251.

Sebastian, on the other hand, is seeded number 45 in the Girls Under 20 division with an Elo Standard rating of 1865.

Bernardino said the PH chess campaign is being supported by the Philippine Sports Commission led by chairman Jose Emmanuel “Noli” M. Eala, commissioner Olivia “Bong” Coo and executive secretary Atty. Guillermo B. Iroy Jr. while Philippine Olympic Committee president and Tagaytay city mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino Jr. and deputy secretary-general Carl Sambrano, the office of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for European Affairs Jaime Victor B. Ledda and Fide delegate Casto “Toti” Abundo of the Asian Chess Federation help to facilitate and process the Schengen visa on time of the PH chess delegation before the departure.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)