Dipolog journalists oppose news blackout on kidnapped Italian

DIPOLOG CITY – The Dipolog city government appealed for a news blackout on the kidnapping of Italian national Rolando del Torchio, a former missionary priest-turned-restaurant owner in the southern Philippines.

It was a request already turned down by some journalists, who expressed concerns over the curtailment of press freedom.

Torchia was taken last week, October 7, by unidentified men at his pizza restaurant in Dipolog City.

“In deference to the wishes of the immediate family and close associates of Mr Rolando del Torchio, I am respectfully requesting our media community to refrain from publishing or broadcasting further details on the abduction incident involving Mr Rolando del Torchio,” Dipolog City Mayor Evelen Uy said in a statement on Monday, October 12.

The family wanted less attention on the kidnapping and hoped that the “issue will die down,” lawyer Jordan Chan Antonio, who is supposedly representing Torchio’s family, was quoted saying.

The mayor also raised concerns over “inaccurate issues” that are “fed to the public,” referring to the broadcast of a CCTV footage of Torchio’s kidnapping and the subsequent arrest of two suspects in the Ipil town of Zamboanga Sibugay.

Radio commentator Elmer Elmedulan was among those who opposed the request. 

“There had been kidnappings before, but the government did not order a news blackout. Why the appeal for news blackout? Is the mayor ashamed that the kidnapping happened during her incumbency and her husband (Governor Roberto Uy) is the RPOC (Regional Peace and Order Council) chair?” he said.

A news blackout is useless, argued another reporter who refused to be named. “A lot of news were coming from other places like Zamboanga City, where detailed police reports coming from Dipolog City are usually sent to reporters,” the journalist said. – Rappler.com