BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY

UNEDITED SAMPLE EDITORIAL ARTICLE
By Therese Romaine Nalangan Rustia
IV-Michael Faraday


IN THE YEAR 1996, a small group of journalists were held captive by the Abu Sayyaf in Sumisip, Basilan. Instead of an interview with Janjalani, the Abu Sayyaf leader, they became hostages and only after a week were set free.

Then in 2000, actor Robin Padilla and now vice-president Noli de Castro, along with several newsmen, were also kidnapped by the bandits.

And just last June, Ces Oreña-Drilon and two cameramen were abducted by the infamous group of terrorists. In exchange of about 20 million php ransom demand, they were finally released.
These are just a few of the incidents that had happened which involved journalists and the Abu Sayyaf.

It has been a distressing thought that these terrorists are still active today. More distressing still, is that they choose to kidnap even the people who are involved in media.

Reporters and journalists have a code of ethics to follow as to keep their news accurate and unbiased. They venture even to the most risky places and interview even the most dangerous people as to be able to deliver factual information to the citizens.

They chose to interview the Abu Sayyaf because as a media reporter, they need to deliver both sides of the story. But the terrorists took advantage of them and made them their hostage.

Why do they do this? What is the real story that media fails to reveal? For whatever reason they do this, there is not much that we can do. They have certain beliefs that do not match with ours.

True, what they did was wrong and the people see them as the bad guys that they truly are. But who could blame them completely? Being uneducated, what do they know of these things?

There is this lack of understanding between both sides. We must all try to bridge this gap so that everyone can work together towards development.

But it must all start within each and every one of us. If we know ourselves, we would be able to understand others. After all, everything begins by trying to change something big by starting out with something small.

And to all the journalists who bravely strive to gather news even in the most crucial circumstances, I salute you.