Newspaper slams ‘red- tagging’ of bureau chief

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

 

One of the Philippines’ largest news organizations on Tuesday evening slammed the “red-tagging” of one of its bureau chiefs by a self-alleged communist rebel-turned-government asset last week during a government-sanctioned broadcast program.

In a statement posted on its official Twitter account, The Philippine Daily Inquirer responded to the allegations made by Jeffrey Celiz during the program ‘Rektang Konek, Aksyon Agad’ on Thursday, Nov. 5, against its Visayas bureau chief Nestor Burgos Jr.

The program, which airs on the UNTV network, is a public-service program of the Philippine National Police-Association of Chiefs of Police of the Philippines, Inc. (PNP-ACPPI).

While the episode aired on Nov. 5, it only caught public attention on Nov. 9, when it was reposted on a page supporting the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

In the program, Celiz narrated his recruitment by the Communist Party of the Philippines and its fronts, the New Peoples’ Army (NPA) and the National Democratic Front (NDF).

He tagged Burgos, former Bayan Muna Partylist Representative Teddy Casiño, and a Randy Malayao, as his alleged recruiters while he was still in Iloilo.

Malayao, according to Celiz, was an NDF consultant who was killed in Nueva Vizcaya in March 2019.

He added that they were together in the CPP’s Regional Youth and Students’ Bureau in Panay Island.

But in its statement, the Inquirer said it was “gravely concerned about the [r]ed-tagging of [its] Visayas bureau reporter Nestor P. Burgos Jr. by one Jeffrey Celiz aka Ka Eric Almendras, an alleged former rebel now working for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).”

The broadsheet also expressed their concern for Burgos’ and other journalists’ safety due to the allegations made by Celiz.

Celiz had previously alleged that the CPP-NPA-NDF recruited student journalists at the West Visayas State University (WVSU) in Iloilo City through the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP).

The Forum-Dimensions, WVSU’s campus-wide publication, also a member of the CEGP, refuted Celiz claims in a statement.

Inquirer said Celiz’s allegations will only worsen the culture of impunity against journalists.

“We take exception to the self-serving allegations made by Celiz against Burgos, who has been in our reportorial staff since 2001, and express deep concern for his safety. Such sweeping statements may put Burgos and other journalists in danger from forces that are acting with impunity and violence against those erroneously tagged as enemies of the government,” the Inquirer added in its statement.

Despite these allegations, the media organization concluded that they will not be deterred.

“This latest allegation will not distract the Inquirer from the pursuit of its mission to provide factual coverage and responsible reporting to its readers,” the Inquirer said in closing its statement.

Before revealing himself as ‘Ka Eric Almendras’, Celiz was tagged by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016 as a protector of the illegal drug trade in Iloilo City.

He made headlines in late October 2020 when he alleged in radio interviews that he was a military spy within the CPP-NPA-NDF.