A governor's security officer threatened and physically assaulted a radio broadcaster in Camarines Norte province, Philippines; the next day the broadcaster received a white box containing a death threat and three bullets.
The security officer of a governor threatened and physically assaulted a radio broadcaster last 11 July 2013 in Daet town, Camarines Norte province, some 300 kilometers southwest of Manila. The next day, 12 July, the broadcaster received a white box containing a death threat and three bullets.
Rommel Fenix, host of “Public Power” program for dzAU AM, reported to the police that he was punched in the face three times by a certain Ronnie Bardon.
Bardon, according to Fenix in a phone interview with CMFR last 18 July, is a former police officer who then worked for re-elected Camarines Norte governor Edgardo Tallado as a security officer.
According to the police blotter Fenix also posted in social media, Bardon told Fenix in Filipino, “I WILL KILL YOU (EXPLETIVE). GOVERNOR TALLADO AND I, WE ARE JUST BEING PATIENT WITH YOU; IF ONLY THERE ARE NO PEOPLE HERE, YOU ARE A DEAD ANIMAL!!!”
The following day, Friday 12 July, Fenix told CMFR his daughter was alerted by their neighbor about a suspicious package that had arrived at their house. He asked the police for assistance in opening the package, thinking that it could be an explosive.
Fenix recorded on video the police’s opening of the package, which was a white box, and posted it on his social media timeline. It contained three .45 caliber rounds and a threatening letter.
The letter said in Filipino: “ROMMEL FENIX DZAU BROADCASTER OF THE TOWN, THESE BULLETS ARE FOR YOU!!! WAIT FOR ME TO PUT THE REST OF MY BULLETS INSIDE YOUR BODY. YOUR TIME IS COMING.”
Tallado confirmed to CMFR on 19 June that Bardon is indeed his security officer, but denied threatening Fenix, directly or through his allies. He also denied Fenix’s accusations against him, claiming that dzAU is owned by the family of his recent opponent for governor, Jojo Unico.
Tallado also told CMFR that he has filed some ten libel cases against Fenix. On 4 June, Fenix and seven other broadcasters filed counter-affidavits for a libel case Tallado filed against them last May.
In January 2013, Fenix also reported receiving threatening text messages from anonymous individuals. He said the threats might have come from Tallado’s allies.
