ABS-CBN suspends Ces Drilon for 3 months

MANILA, Philippines - ABS CBN has suspended news anchor Ces Drilon for disobeying orders not to go to Indanan, Sulu where she and her news crewmen were kidnapped by an armed group, the network’s Web site announced Saturday. According to the Web site, Drilon is “suspended for three months as news anchor of late night newscast Bandila and as Senior Correspondent." Drilon had earlier apologized to her supervisors for disobeying their orders and to her cameramen for unwittingly endangering their lives, the network said. ABS-CBN News & Current Affairs Head Maria Ressa commended the courage Drilon exhibited throughout her ordeal, her presence of mind in sending out coded messages, and her willingness to sacrifice her own life in order to save her news team. "Ces, Jimmy (Encarnacion) and Angelo (Valderama) exhibited the type of teamwork and deep trust that true journalists develop under life and death situations." Despite that, Ressa also stressed the need to hold Ces accountable for the "grave consequences of her error in judgment," Ressa wrote in her announcement. ABS-CBN News & Current Affairs strictly adheres to its Standards & Ethics Manual, which states: "While all reporting of conflict and other hazardous environments involves an element of risk, you must avoid obvious danger and not take unreasonable risks… You may move into a dangerous environment only with the authorization of your supervisor."