BOMBO VS. CAPITOL
Despite 'blacklisting', Bombo won't pull out barred reporter from Capitol

By Ronilo L. Pamonag

No retreat, no surrender.

DYFM Bombo Radyo-Iloilo will not pull out its Capitol beat reporter Roger Gencianeo despite Gov. Niel Tupas' blacklisting.

“We won't pull him out (of the Capitol),” Bombo chief of reporters Rhoderick Tecson said in his program yesterday morning, referring to Gencianeo.

Provincial Administrator Manuel Mejorada confirmed Wednesday afternoon that Tupas has ordered the blacklisting of Tecson, Gencianeo, and assistant station manager Novie Guazo from the Capitol because what they call were the 'unprofessional, unethical, and unrespectful behaviour' of the three.

Mejorada said that they will no longer be granting interviews with the three, who are also barred from attending official press functions of the Capitol. “The Capitol no longer recognizes them to be members of the Capitol press corps,” he sternly declared.

Despite having been blacklisted though, Gencianeo continues to cover the Capitol beat. He covered the 1 st Provincial Education Summit yesterday, and even attended a press conference with Tupas and Education Secretary Florencio Abad at the conference room of the Office of the Governor.

When asked if he wanted to react to Tecson's declaration, Mejorada sent a text message which says, “no need to respond.” Mejorada, a former mediaman, has since expressed hesitancy as regards the policy, saying, “this is a sad day for me. This is the last thing I should do, but they went over the line... we have been tolerating their personal attacks against me and the governor.”

“We are ready to sacrifice another life. We will never be cowed by this kind of oppression by the officials of the provincial government,” Tecson said in his morning radio program.