AUCKLAND (Pacific Journalism Review / Asia New Zealand Foundation / Pacific Media Watch): An award-winning news anchor from the leading television network in the Philippines is coming to New Zealand and will be a keynote speaker at the Pacific Journalism Review 20th anniversary conference in November, organisers confirmed today.
Political journalist Ces Oreña-Drilon of ABS-CBN anchors Bandila, the network’s late night news programme.
Drilon, a television journalist for nearly three decades, became the news herself in 2008, when Abu Sayyaf guerrillas kidnapped her along with two ABS-CBN cameramen in Sulu, an autonomous Muslim province on the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines.
She was held for ransom for nine days and later made the documentary Kidnap about the experience.
Conference convenor Professor David Robie, director of the Pacific Media Centre and PJR editor, welcomed the news and thanked Asia New Zealand Foundation media adviser Rebecca Palmer for facilitating the visit.
While in New Zealand, Drilon will share her experiences as a journalist covering the ongoing Maguindanao massacre trial.
The 2009 election-related massacre in Ampatuan Town, Maguindanao, claimed the lives of 58 people, including 32 journalists.
Deadliest incident
It is considered the single deadliest incident for journalists in history.
More than 100 of the 196 suspects have been arrested, but the rest remain at large nearly five years after the killings.
Lawyers defending the Ampatuans, main suspects in the case, resigned last month, further slowing down the trial process.
Ces Oreña-Drilon is being brought to New Zealand by the Asia New Zealand Foundation and will be speaking at the PJR conference “Political reporting in the Asia-Pacific” at AUT University on November 27-29.
Other speakers include television journalist and documentary maker Max Stahl of East Timor, Television New Zealand Pacific affairs correspondent Barbara Dreaver, Republika editor and publisher Ricardo Morris of Fiji; NZ International Film festival documentary directors Jim Marbrook and Alister Barry, and political cartoonist Malcolm Evans.
Many of the research journal’s editors and contributors, and media analysts and campaigners are also participating.
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