Media and armed conflict; Basilan and peace

Episode on July 18, 2007 Wednesday late night after Saksi Last week, the military conducted a search and rescue operation for abducted Italian priest Giancarlo Bossi in Tipo-tipo town in the southern Philippines island-province of Basilan. After getting negative results, the Marines were on their way back to camp when one of the trucks in the convoy got stuck in mud. What followed was a fierce seven-hour gunbattle that left 14 Marines dead, with 10 of them later found to have been beheaded and mutilated. Among those caught in the middle of the firefight was a GMA News team led by reporter Jun Veneracion along with cameraman Julius Catibog and assistant cameraman Donnie Roxas, whose head was slightly wounded by shrapnel. This was not the first time that media practitioners found themselves in the middle of a gunbattle. On Wednesday, watch as media practitioners tell their stories of being caught in battles between the military and insurgents. Know too the implications of the encounter on the peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Watch Palaban, hosted by Mareng Winnie Monsod and Miriam Quiambao, this Wednesday late night on GMA.

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Noong isang linggo, isang search and rescue operation ang isinagawa ng military sa bayan ng Tipo-Tipo sa Basilan para sa dinukot na paring Italyano na si Fr. Giancarlo Bossi. Matapos mag-negatibo ang operasyon, pabalik na sana sa kampo ang Marines nang mabalahaw ang isa sa military truck na kanilang sinasakyan. At dito na naganap ang pag-ambush sa kanila. Kasama sa mga naipit sa girian ang GMA News team na kinabibilangan nina Reporter Jun Veneracion, Cameraman Julius Catibog at Assistant Cameraman Donnie Roxas na nadaplisan pa ng shrapnel sa ulo. Hindi ito ang unang pagkakataong naipit sa engkwentro ang mga miyembro ng media. Sa darating na Miyerkules, abangan ang kwento ng iba pang mga mamamahayag na naranasan din ang mapagitnaan ng bakbakan sa pagitan ng military at mga kaaway nito. Alamin din ang implikasyon ng huling sagupaan sa usapang pangkapayapaan ng pamahalaan at MILF kasama sina Mareng Winnie, Malou Mangahas at Miriam Quiambao. Panoorin ang Palaban sa ika-18 ng Hulyo, Miyerkules ng gabi pagkatapos ng Saksi, sa GMA.