“We will not be cowed by this act of terrorism against the free press. We shall continue to do our duty in informing the people and our mandate as the fourth estate.”

CAGAYAN DE ORO — Journalists’ groups condemned the burning of a service vehicle owned by Cagayan de Oro-based media practitioner Manuel Jaudian in the early morning of May 10 in Sagay town, Camiguin, one of the provinces in the Northern Mindanao region. His service van suffered partial burns.

Both the Cagayan de Oro Press Club (COPC) and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) Cagayan de Oro Chapter called on the Camiguin Police Provincial Office and Police Regional Office Northern Mindanao to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure that the perpetrators, including the mastermind, are held accountable.

Read: NUJP launches legal defense network for journalists

Jaudian, former COPC president and now the executive director of COPC Journalism Institute, the club’s education arm, told Bulatlat the incident took place outside his residence around 2 a.m. His vehicle with media marking was still burning when he noticed it, prompting him to immediately extinguish the fire before the arrival of the Bureau of Fire Protection. 

He found a container that smelled of gasoline and a makeshift torch in the area, making him believe that the incident was planned and intentional.

Jaudian currently hosts Kalandrakas, a news podcast with Mindanao Daily News, a media outfit based in Cagayan de Oro. He has been providing commentaries on long-standing issues of political dynasties and vote-buying in the region, among other election-related issues, ahead of the 2025 midterm elections. He said he never singled out the province of Camiguin.

He did not rule out the possibility that he was targeted because of these issues he has chosen to talk about. “We, journalists, will always be the favorite targets of politicians who are affected by our exposés and advocacies,” Jaudian told Bulatlat. 

In 2016, Jaudian ran for congressman in Camiguin, but he was defeated. This was his last engagement in politics.

Read: Prosecutors dismiss complaint against Camiguin Governor (PR)

The NUJP Cagayan de Oro Chapter decried the incident, which took place two days before the May 12 elections and a week after the commemoration of World Press Freedom Day. “This incident only shows that harassment against the media, which is one of the most documented press freedom violations in the country, has been continuing.”

Prior to this, veteran journalist Juan “Johnny” Dayang, president emeritus of the Publishers Association of the Philippines Incorporated, was shot dead inside his home in Kalibo, Aklan, on April 29. Jaudian’s case has yet to be officially documented by the NUJP Safety Office, but as of May 1, the organization has documented 177 media attacks under the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Read: Groups denounce killing of 89-year-old veteran journalist

COPC President Froilan Gallardo urged journalists who will cover the upcoming elections to be extra cautious and ensure personal safety as their top priority.

“We will not be cowed by this act of terrorism against the free press. We shall continue to do our duty in informing the people and our mandate as the fourth estate,” he said in a statement. (RTS, RVO)

---

Disclosure: Franck Dick Rosete, a Bulatlat contributor, is the current chairperson of NUJP Cagayan de Oro Chapter.