Journalists complain about arrests

Manila: Journalists have complained about the arrest of reporters and photographers who covered the failed six-hour revolt led by a senator and a general in a hotel in the financial district of Makati recently.

They have rejected the authorities' justification that they were detained for blocking a police operation.

Ces Drilom, one of the broadcast journalists who was arrested inside the Peninsula Manila Hotel on Thursday said no one told them to leave the premises to allow government forces a free hand to launch an attack.

In an interview yesterday over radio DZMM, Drilom, a senior correspondent for ABS-CBN News, added authorities also did not tell them to leave the premises as the government teams would begin their assault.

Drilom said reporters and photographers were free to leave the hotel but most of those covering decided against it, since it was a legitimate news story.

Precaution

"We used our own judgment. There was no order to leave...we all [the TV crew] decided to stay. We just took precautions," Drilom said as she narrated how she distributed wet napkins and toilet paper to her crew to brace for the tear gas assault.

National police chief Director General Avelino Razon said that he called some reporters and photographers inside the hotel on their mobile phones and told them to proceed to the rooftop where a helicopter was being sent to pick them up.

Foreigners

The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, which overseas all journalists working for international news groups, also complained of the arrests which included some of their members.