A Filipino print and radio journalist last week received threats after criticizing the increase of motorcycle theft incidents in North Cotabato province in Mindanao.

On 1 February 2010, Malu Cadelina Manar received three threatening text messages after her interview over Kidapawan City’s radio dxND with North Cotabato police director, Senior Superintendent Norberto Batislaong, about the unsolved series of motorcycle thefts in the city. She had argued for a rigorous police campaign against the thieves, asking the local police to “crush” them. Kidapawan City is the capital city of North Cotabato, a province approximately 956 kilometers from Manila.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, of which Manar is a member and heads its local chapter, quoted in its statement the first message Manar received: “Masaket ka magsolte Malo maghulat ka kay kame ang magdurog at magwasak sa imo ('You speak harshly, Malo, you wait because we will crush and destroy you').”

Manar said she received several text messages in the following days saying she was being followed. She reported these threats to the local police who tried to call the mobile number (+63930-118-6508) used in sending the threats, but the number was no longer accessible.  CMFR also tried to call the abovementioned phone number but could not get through.

According to Manar’s reports, at least 22 motorbikes have been stolen since December 2009. Manar believes that there could be a syndicate behind the thefts. She said it is also possible that some former members of private armies are now resorting to thievery. Since the 23 November 2009 massacre in Maguindanao, the national government has been dismantling the private armies of certain political clans in the provinces.

The program director of dxND, Manar hosts the news and current affairs program “LakadBayan (Forward, Community)” aired Mondays to Saturdays from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. (local time).