Nanawagan ang beteranong photojournalist na si Alberto “Bullit” Marquez na kilalanin at protektahan ang papel ng media matapos siyang mapagkamalang raliyista at tangkaing arestuhin ng mga pulis habang nagko-cover ng kilos-protesta sa Pasay City noong July 22.
Kasama ni Marquez ang The Manila Times photo editor na si Rene Dilan sa pagdodokumento ng protesta sa Cultural Center of the Philippines complex, malapit sa pinagdarausan ng 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
Ayon kay Marquez, nagsimula ang insidente nang makita nilang hinihila ng mga pulis mula sa hanay ng mga demonstrador ang Muslim protester na si Amirah Lidasan.
“The incident began when we saw a Muslim woman being pulled from the ranks of protesters by police. Instinctively, Rene and I tried to photograph what was happening. However, policemen rushed toward us and prevented us from taking photos. One of them covered my lens, to which I reacted,” paglalahad niya.
Sa gitna ng komosyon, nahulog ang kamerang nakasabit sa kaliwang braso ni Marquez. Nang pulutin niya ito, hinawakan umano ng isang pulis ang kaniyang kamay at tinangkang posasan siya.
“During the brief scuffle, the camera hanging from my left arm fell. As I tried to pick it up, a policeman grabbed my hand in an attempt to handcuff me. With help from my fellow journalists, I was able to break free,” aniya.
Mabilis na kumalat online ang video ng insidente na inilabas ng isang DZRH reporter. Kalaunan, naglabas ang Pasay City Police ng pahayag na tumukoy kay Marquez bilang raliyista.
Iginiit niyang malinaw na nakikita ang kaniyang press identification card at mga dalang kamera.
“I was clearly identifiable by my conspicuous press ID and my cameras which left no doubt as to my profession,” aniya.
Apat na dekada nang photojournalist si Marquez. Nakapag-cover na siya ng pitong pangulo ng Pilipinas at malalaking pandaigdigang pangyayari, kabilang ang mga digmaan sa Iraq, Afghanistan at Pakistan, pati sporting events, kalamidad at kaguluhang pampolitika.
Para kay Marquez, hindi lamang ito usapin ng isang photojournalist na napagkamalan ng pulis.
“This incident is about more than one photojournalist being misidentified. It speaks to a larger issue: the need to recognize and protect the role of the press, especially in moments of public unrest,” giit niya.
“Journalists are not mere bystanders. We are there to document, to inform, and to ensure that the public has an accurate record of events as they unfold,” dagdag niya.
Ayon sa Pasay police, napagkamalang mga raliyista sina Marquez at Dilan dahil nakahalo sila sa nagtutulakang mga tao.
Sinisiyasat na ng Southern Police District ang insidente. Tiniyak naman ng National Capital Region Police Office na maaaring patawan ng kaukulang administratibong parusa ang sinumang mapatutunayang lumabag sa operational procedures.
Kinondena ng VERA Files, Photojournalists’ Center of the Philippines at National Union of Journalists of the Philippines ang tangkang pag-aresto at panghihimasok sa trabaho ng mga mamamahayag.
“The July 22 incident, however it came about, is a reminder that the safety and dignity of media workers must be protected—not only for myself, but for young and future photojournalists and all media practitioners who continue this work every day,” ani Marquez. /Bistado