A local journalist in Negros Oriental was suspended for a report on the job order employees “wage scam” issue right after the radio public affairs program’s airtime last August 15 through a verbal suspension effective immediately.

In an interview, the journalist said that while they are eating he was called by the news director of the local radio station where he was previously working. The news director told him that Hon. Reynaldo Concepcion, city mayor of Tanjay called the management of the radio station and stated he was “hurt” why a correspondent of the radio is allowed to cover to the issue on the wage system of the job order employees of the city.

dili unta pugngan ang media nga magstorya lang unta sa tinood total nagbasi man me sa dokumento gikan sa sanguniang panglungsod

Journalist in a phone interview

(They should not repress the media that are only telling facts based on the documents presented by the Sanguniang Panlungsod)

The journalist said that this is very hard for him especially he is now unemployed in this time of crisis. He is now trying to apply to other radio stations in the island in order to find means to sustain his needs but is still waiting for a response.

It can be recalled that the country is continuously fighting against censorship and attacks on press freedom. This year the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights recorded more than 155 cases of harassments and attempts to crackdown the media, including the killings of Negros media practitioners like Dumaguete’s investigative radio journalist Rex Cornerlio, radio commentator Dindo Generoso, former chairperson of NUJP Dumaguete Chapter Edmund Sestoso and radio block timer Gabby Alboro.

Kaye Brier
Paghimutad—Negros Oriental Contributor