Finding Teehankee (late post)

It’s a given that, being a journalist, I have to being on my toes ALL the time. That’s why I was a little less surprised when, during a dull day at Crame, I was told by my editor to rush to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City to stake out Claudio Teehankee Jr., the pardoned convicted murderer, reportedly living inside the NBP Compound for almost a week.

(UPDATE 3) Newspaper publisher arrested, held at CIDG

By Abigail Kwok
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 13:41:00 09/04/2008

MANILA, Philippines — A newspaper publisher was arrested Thursday and was brought to the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police in Camp Crame, Quezon City over a nine-year-d libel case filed by former government officials.

Zamboanga City council told to apologize to journalist

For ‘persona non grata’ tag

By Abigail Kwok
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 16:46:00 08/11/2008

MANILA, Philippines — International and local media groups on Monday demanded that the Zamboanga City council apologize to a journalist it had declared “persona non grata” for filing what the local legislature claimed were “unfavourable news reports.”

Beat vs. non-beat

I have been on the “beat” for almost a week now. I was assigned to the Senate last Wednesday and Thursday and now I’m here at Congress. On both instances, I have served as a “reliever,” or a subsitute as our reporter/s went on leave. I’m happy and disappointed at the same time.

Happy, because I get to experience how the ACTUAL beat system works. Of course in high school and in college, things were so much different. Now, things are more cut-throat, more intense, and the pressure is definitely on. I’m loving that feeling, rubbing elbows with fellow journalists and top politicos and just learning from the experience.

But at the same time I’m also disappointed because I thought I expected more from all of this. I know I have no right to judge especially since I’ve been immersed here for less than a week, but I really miss being on general assignment.

I guess it’s more of the feeling of being out there, on field, where the news really happens that excite me, rather than staying in a freezer-cum-press center where everyone just waits for the news to be thrown right at you.

Then again, being in the beat is also great because you get to tackle a lot of big, national issues rather than dealing with petty, metro issues that seem to fade into memory the second they get published.

I’m torn. :-S

In less than a month, I’ll be moving to a real beat. Good bye GA and hello to Police. I’m excited and scared, there I said it. I’m just really thankful that I’m getting a preview as early as now.