A Rejoinder to PNOC 

We welcome and appreciate the commentary of Mr. Leonardo M. Ote, Environment and External Relations Manager of PNOC. 

It is because of our adherence to the standards and ethics of journalism that reactions like yours are always given due regard, warrant publication in our magazine, and even shared among the people we have talked to on the subject concerned. 

We believe we have presented fairly the facts in project site, the sentiments, anxieties, opinions of the people, the contractual workers, including PNOC people in the area, Barangay Captain Torres, 11^th IB troopers and CAFGUs detailed in the project site. Two of our research staff, along with some local media representatives, joined the two-day fact-finding mission initiated by the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-Negros, Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, Agham Manila, Diocese of Bacolod, and several other organizations. 

We only reported and analyzed the events and circumstances as they happened. If our reporting appeared to be critical of PNOC, it is because that is what the facts we had gathered show.  

We can send you, if you wish, interview voice clips and footages of people, project site, rivers, trees, houses affected, and even the army troopers and paramilitary CAFGU in the project site, including their confrontation with the members of the fact finding mission. 

As to your other claims and charges, especially those that involve the KMP-led fact finding mission, including your suggestion to the fact finding mission to hold a third party audit, we suggest you write or talk to them directly, and clear out matters as you wish. We do, however, present the KMP’s reply to your statement per our post fact-finding interview yesterday.

It may also be interesting for you to read (see attached feature news) the additional testimonies of threats and harassments that the victims have presented to us, when they came to our local office in Bacolod City after the mission, three days ago, to reaffirm and detail their previous testimonies.  

We hope we have clarified basic matters. 

Karl G. Ombion, Edgar Cadagat and Hannah Papasin

Bulatlat.com/Cobra-ans 

Sept. 27, 2002

Bacolod City, Negros Occidental 

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