Introduction to Print Oral History Interview with Mr. Manuel Mogato November 12, 1999 By Jill Christine C. Santiago SANTIAGO. My name is Jill Christine Santiago, and I'm here with an interview with Mr. Manny Mogato of Asahi Shimbun. Ok sir, let's start. Sir, for the record, could you please state your name and your present employment?
MOGATO. I'm Manny Mogato and I'm the Manila Bureau reporter of Asahi Shimbun. That's a Japanese newspaper with more than 11 million daily circulation.

Q. Ok, sir, why did you decide to become a newspaper journalist?
A. Maybe by accident? No, actually I was in love with newspaper writing, even when I was still in school. I was with the campus paper when I was still in high school and in college, so from the start, I think I really wanted to become a newspaper reporter.

Q. Ah, ok so this was in Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila?
A. Yeah, and even before in high school.

Q. Ok, sir were there any members of your family in the newspaper business before you?
A. No.

Q. None? Ok, so at present, do you have family members working for a newspaper?
A. None that I know of.

Q. Ok, sir, one by one, could you please state the names of the newspapers you were employed in and for how long you were working in each?
A. I was with People's Journal, the tabloid, before EDSA revolution, from 1983 to December 1985, so I think, more than two years. And then, just before EDSA, I went to Manila Times, but I stayed very briefly until April of 1986. That's when we had a walk-out. Then from June 1986 to May 1994, I was with Manila Chronicle and then with Asahi Shimbun in May 1994 to May 1997. And then, went back to Manila Times on May 1997 until August of this year when it was sold. And presently, I am with Asahi Shimbun. So I just went back.

Q. Sir, could you just state your positions in these newspapers?
A. Hmm, I was a reporter since 1983, but when I went back to Manila Times in May 1997, I was the assistant news editor until it was sold last August. Now I'm back to being a reporter (in Asahi Shimbun).

Q. Ok, so what kind of reporter, sir?
A. I started as a police reporter with People's Journal, and with Manila Times and with Manila Chronicle, and then I was moved to covering the defense department during the period when there were many coup attempts against Mrs. Aquino's government. And when Pres. Ramos was elected into office in 1992, I was transferred to Malacanang. I was a Malacanang reporter. Now with Asahi Shimbun, I covered practically everything, from crime to social issues, and politics.

Q. And this is a Japanese newspaper?
A. Yeah, yeah, a Japanese daily newspaper.

Q. Sir, the first newspaper you worked in was People's Journal in 1983..
A. Mm hmm, that was in Port Area, Manila, sa may pier..

Q. Ok, sir, could you please describe its physical facilities, starting with the building?
A. Oh, it was like a bodega. Oh, its in the Port Area, so you would imagine the building, it's really old. The printing presses were old. It's a .. it's like a warehouse.

Q. Ok, so it wasn't air conditioned?
A. It was inside. Yeah.

Q. Sir, how were the offices and office equipment?
A. Old, because at that time, there were no computers yet, typewriters.

Q. Ahh, sir, how about the lighting and the ventilation?
A. Hmm, lighting was good, ventilation, not much, but it was so closed eh. I think it was poorly ventilated. Although, it was air conditioned. Uh, I think I started to see computers only when I transferred to Manila Chronicle, but not all of us were using computers then. Many were using, initially, type writers. I think it was late 1980's , maybe 1987, when we first had the computers. I think it's the Mac which was introduced to us.

Q. So before 1987, the reporters were using typewriters?
A. Yeah, it was typewriters and hand written, sometimes.

Q. Oh, ok. And the method of printing, was it letterpress or offset, in the newspapers?
A. Ah, offset na.

Q. Sir, do you have any idea what the circulation of People's Journal was like at the time?
A. Oh, at that time, it was the biggest tabloid. Because I don't know the real circulation at that time, but it's big, more than 200,000 they say. With the other newspapers, I don't know because most of the circulation figures among newspapers now are not really the correct numbers. For auditing purposes, they would say that they would print more than 100,000, but the actual circulation is maybe only 10%.

Q. Sir, could you please describe the first people you worked with, starting with your publisher? Who was the publisher of People's Journal?
A. Oh you know him, I don't know if you know him, it's Kokoy Romualdez. The brother of Imelda. At that time he was ambassaor to the US and he started the Journal actually, when Marcos closed down the Manila Chronicle, the Lopez owned Manila Chronicle in 1972. So a few months later, he opened the Journal and the equipment and the offices that Kokoy was using was the old Chronicle. Then when Manila Times was opened in December 1985, it was Don Chino Roces who was the publisher. Then when I moved to Manila Chronicle, it was Geny Lopez. And then when I went back to Manila Times, it was Robina Gokongwei, the publisher.

Q. Ok, how about your editors, could you please describe them, back in People's Journal in 1983? Who was your first editor?
A. My first editorwas Gus (Augusto) Villanueva. He actually started as a sports writer, and then he became the editor-in-shief of People's Journal. I think he's now out, I think he's now connected with the Philippine Bowling Congress. With Manila Times, I worked with Vergel Santos, now a columnist of Business World. And then later, Mr. Amando Doronila, who's now a columnist in the Inquirer. Then in Manila Times, in 1997, my editor was Malou Mangahas.

Q. Sir, how about your first colleagues? Who were your first colleagues and what were they like? Your fellow reporters?
A. Most of the people I worked with are veteran police reporters when I came in to People's Journal. People like Max Buan, Mike Baluyot, big names in crime reporting. And I learned a lot from them, and of course there are some people, some reporters who were newly graduates and I think most of them now are editors or senior writers in the different newspapers like Antonio Pano who is now an editor in Philippine Star. Who else? Uh, Mr. Jean Orejana if you watch CNN, no uh SNN, online, early evening, 7 o'clock. We started together. Then there was this, another guy, Ibarra Mateo He's now working for a news agency in Tokyo. Who else? Fred Gabot is now, I think the foreign news editor of the Bulletin. So most of them are successful in their careers.

Q. Sir, please describe the working conditions at that time, from 1983, what were your working hours in People's Journal when you first started?
A. Because we cover the police beat, our editors divide us into three shifts. The morning shift, which is from 6 to 4, then the afternoon, from 5 to midnight, and the graveyard, and since I was the youngest and the newest, I was given the graveyard shift, so I worked from midnight to 6 o'clock I think for almost two years.

Q. This was everyday?
A. Yeah, everyday, no holidays, no Sundays. Including Sundays, including holidays.

Q. So this was everyday for two years.
A. For two years, including during typhoon season, everything. Transport strikes, you have to work, so it's more or less everyday work.

Q. Sir, what was your specific duty as a police reporter in the newspaper?
A. So I was assigned to cover various police districts, uh, the eastern police district at that time covers from Marikina to Muntinlupa and then Southern police district from Makati, Pasay up to Las Pinas, and then the Western police district, the entire city of Manila. So, I was asked to visit the police stations in each of the towns and cities where I am assigned, so I have to get stories, sometimes I have to go to the crime scene, not only crime scene, fire, disasters, flooding, everything. I went there. So, basically you write straight news reports of the incidents you covered. These are crime stories or disaster stories, or sometimes public interest stories like, I remember, the roads were bad from Guadalupe to Pateros at that time. And the jeepney drivers association at that area were always on strike. So, I covered those strikes. So practically everything that happens in the towns or in the cities, but not the political stories, it's being covered by other reporters.

Q. Sir, how about your deadlines, what were your deadlines as a police reporter in the People's Journal?
A. Because I basically write for People's Tonight at that time, we were supposed to file our stories before 6 o'clock in the morning, so that's my deadline, 6 o'clock. So I usually return to the office around 5:30 AM, so I am given 30 minutes to file the stories, sometimes less than 30 minutes. And at that time, I was filing two stories for a single event, one is in English, for the People's Tonight, one is in Tagalog for the Taliba, because it's a tagalog tabloid. But basically the same incident.

Q. Sir, like you said, you didn't have any holidays?
A. Yes, yes.

Q. Sir, how much were your salaries when you were just beginning? In People's Journal? (in 1983)
A. Ah, I think at that time, I was lucky I was given P1,200 per month.

Q. A month?
A. Yeah, I think at that time, the monthly salary, the lowest, the most basic, was I think P900 or maybe less. So I was quite lucky to have a bigger salary than most workers.

Q. Sir, what were your methods of gathering information at the time?
A. Interviews, the blotter, basically in police reporting, you go to the police station and open the blotter. In the blotter, you can find what crimes were reported, it's complete because they have the.. It's like in writing the story, you have the 5 W's and 1 H, so: What is the incident? Who was the victim? What time did the crime happen? So it's basically complete, now if you want more facts about the incident, sometimes you go to the policeman to interview and sometimes you get the investigation report. Or sometimes because the police interviewed either the victim or the suspect, you can ask for copies of the investigation itself. And if you're not satisfied, you can go to the crime scene, and talk to other witnesses or observe what really happened, the conditions. So, it's not only interviewing or getting the police report, sometimes you actually go to the crime scene to witness it. For example, stories like fire, you have to go there to interview people who saw where the fire started and to see for yourself what's really happening.

Q. Sir, what was your writing style at the time?
A. Because you have to conform to the style of the newspaper..

Q. Which was?
A. Ah, they have their own style book, so it's actually straight news, we call it "de kahon". Even when you're sleeping, you can write a story, it's like fill in the blanks, like: A farmer was shot .. so if another incident happened, you can just change the name of the farmer, change the date, change the time, and change the circumstances, but it's basically the same. And it was very simple at the time, because you don't have to featurize the news stories. I think until now, these stories are still written like that.

Q. Sir, were you ever a cub reporter, when you were beginning?
A. Ah, during my time, wala na yung cub system eh (1983).

Q. Ah wala na yung system where you go with an experienced journalist?
A. No, because during my time, when I was still in school, mayroong internship period. I think, meron din kayo ano? We were required I think 200 hours of internship period, that was on my last year in Pamantasan, so I trained with IBC 13, in the news department, so I think from November to April I was a trainee for the news department of IBC 13. So, there's really no cub system in the newspapers at that time. But of course there are people who train, students that go there for training, but it's different when you say that you're a cub reporter. It's more intensive, it's more rigorous than going there as an intern or as a trainee.

Q. Sir, what was your first beat? What was the first story that you covered? Do you still remember?
A. No, I don't know, I can't remember anymore the first stories I did, but I have many memorable stories.

Q. Well, what about, one of your first memorable stories? At that time, around 1983?
A. The rallies. Because at that time, during , especially after the assassination of Ninoy Aquino, there were so many rallies, anti-Marcos rallies. We were asked to cover all those rallies, in Makati, in Mendiola, so unforgettable experience yung experience being tear gassed, or being chased by the police, with truncheons, I think I witnessed that very historic event in Mendiola when Don Chino was being drained with water hoses by the firemen. It was early morning, actually. So I was there. And then if you remember, there was a, I don't know, you were very young, maybe you were not yet born, there was these violent demonstrations along Espana when they looted the Kadiwa. Just after the Ninoy Assasination, so I covered them.

Q. Okay, so what were the important lessons you've learned from these memorable stories, as a young reporter?
A. Well, it's fun, at that time it was fun, I liked the adventure. But, looking back, I think, I didn't realize that those were very dangerous situations. Those were very risky coverage. So I think those were the lessons that, when I go back, I think I should not have done those.. well, during that time, I had no choice. I had to do that. But, maybe I could have taken a more cautious approach. Because sometimes I get between a demonstrator and a police. I don't care about my personal safety, but it was a very rich experience, specially during, after those incidents because I don't know if any reporter now would experience those kinds of coverage, where I was in before. It was really a different situation, different time. Well, I enjoyed it much.

Q. Sir, who were the people you worked with in these coverages? Of the rallies?
A. Ah, we were, during those times, when I was with People's Journal, there were more than 5 teams that cover big rallies, specially demonstrations, specially in Makati. When you say teams, it was a team of a reporter and a photographer. And we have a vehicle. It's the teams', so there are three of you, and you were positioned at different parts of the area. For example, if you have this confetti raining in Ayala, one would be in Paseo and Ayala, one would be in Makati Avenue, then another team would be criscrossing the Ayala, and one would be in the buildings, so a lot of people are involved in the coverage. Because, at that time, we had hand held radios already, there was very good coordination, and it was one of our senior police reporters, who was directing us, where to go, what to cover, what to look, who to interview, what kind of information we should ask, thing like that. It was well coordinated and we have contacts in the newsroom and it was our news editor at the time, Mr. Max Buan, who was coordinating all the activities.

Q. Let's talk about your editors through the years. Who were your most memorable editors?
A. Oh, many. I think Vergel Santos is a very memorable editor.

Q. This was with which newspaper?
A. He was the executive editor of Manila Times when it was reopened by the Roces family in 1985. But, before that, I was with him in the Journal, because he was one of the senior editors in the Journal. He was a very good writer, especially rewriting news stories. At that time, I was very young. I was very new. So, my style of writing was pretty much boring. So, he spiced up most of the news stories specially the main story in the front page, usually he writes it or rewrites it, or the reporters. And he has the habit of calling the reporter to his side, and he asks you, "where did you get your stories? I can't understand it. Please sit down and narrate to me what happened." So as you were narrating, he was writing it down on the typewriter. It was, I think almost all of the new reporters then who had that kind of experience with him. But you will really learn a lot from him because while he was rewriting the story, he will tell you, "You should do this, this is the kind of writing that you should do." So, all in all, it was a good experience.

Q. Ok, so how was he when it came to journalism ethics? Did he stress on them a lot?
A. Yes, yes, yes. Most of the editors I worked with, especially Malou Mangahas, is very strict, especially in Journalism Ethics. In 1997, when I joined Manila Times, with Malou Mangahas as my editor, she had a policy on reporters receiving gifts from news sources, so even in Manila Times, with Vergel Santos, and in Manila Chronicle with Amando Doronila, we were not allowed to take in gifts, especially money, especially during press conferences. But, of course, we don't want to antagonize the news sources, so what we do is we bring the envelopes and turn it over to the editors, and then I think they donate the money and then send the receipt to the one who gave us the money. Of course, there are some gifts allowed, especially during Christmas, but if you are a reporter earning P10,000 a month, and somebody gives you a house and lot and a car, I think it's too much, and that's not allowed. I think you are allowed only to take gifts if the price is within your capability.

Q. How were your editors about the grammar aspect of news writing?
A. Terrible, very strict actually, sometimes, especially Vergel Santos is very particular. When I was with Manila Times and Manila Chronicle, we have a Senior Desk Person, he actually is the rewrite man, his name is Rusty Otico, before he was with the Inquirer, but I think he just retired. He is a very nice person, he will call you to his desk and say "This is the right way of doing it, or writing it." Or if you have some lapses in grammar, he will correct it. In other sections, especially at the Journal at the time, we have the Times Journal, the editor is Joe Luna Castro. He was very mean. If he doesn't like the stories, he'll throw it in the trash can in front of you. And if you get some grammatical mistakes, they would pin your news story on the bulletin board and some of them shout at reporters. You get the traditional tongue-lashing, and sometimes they will ask you "When did you learn your English?" Something like that, but I was lucky because I had very good editors, and copy editors, who were not that mean and they will teach you the craft.

Q. Okay, what was the attitude of your editors towards deadlines?
A. Ah, they were very particular about deadlines, when they say "You have to file your stories at 6 o'clock" You have to finish it by 6 o'clock, or else they won't use your story. But there are stories that are written for longer periods, like feature stories, Sunday stories. That 's when they give you one week to write and finish a story. But, if they say that you have to submit it on Friday, you have to submit it on Friday.

Q. So they made this very clear?
A. Yes. It's one way also of being a professional to meet the deadlines.

Q. Okay, so now let's talk about your colleagues. Who were your most memorable colleagues while working in the newspapers?
A. Memorable colleagues… There were so many. I had so many colleagues.

Q. One of the more memorable ones?
A. Memorable ones…The problem is that when you say colleagues within your newspaper, it's very hard to find one because, you really don't have to go with them everyday. People you spend more time with everyday is the news reporter from other newspapers. Because if you are in the beat, you spend the whole day in the beat, so the people you were with are your competitors actually. But your colleagues from the same newspaper, I think you only see them in the newsroom, or after office hours when you have a few drinks. So, when you say memorable, maybe those people who taught me how to drink beer after office hours. But, on the job, it's with the other reporters from other newspapers, but one particular guy that I was with for most of the time, especially after office hours is Cesar Carpio. We worked together with the Journal and he was a very good writer. I think sometimes I try to copy his style of writing because I really like the way he writes.

Q. Please describe your memorable experiences with your colleagues.
A. Most of them are with my officemates. Most of them are drinking beer after office hours. But I spend more time with reporters from other newspapers. We work on stories together, pursue leads. But I think I had a good time with one photographer. I think he's now with the Bulletin, Freddy Manalac. Because at that time, we were police reporters, he was an all around photographer, so he covers sports, covers entertainment, covers crime. So whenever he has other assignments, he usually asks me to come with him, so at that time, he covers the PB
A. So I had the chance to sit in front of the ring, near the court, in the ringside. Or, sometimes, he has pictorials of movie stars, so sometimes he takes me along so I also enjoyed that.

Q. Sir, generally speaking, what were your best memories as a young reporter?
A. Oh, best memories. Maybe the coverage of the coup attempts, the coverage of disasters. Because it's very exciting, this kind of coverage. I went to a plane crash in Baguio in 1987. So, when I was starting to walk, I met some locals, the Igorots, then I asked them, "How far is the crash site?" They said "Oh, it's only about 6 hours walk." I said "Ah really? Okay." So I joined them and they were walking too fast, and I think I was walking for almost 12 hours, and I wasn't even halfway then. So, I decided to return because I couldn't make it. For them it was 6 hours, but for me, I think it would be 1 day! Or maybe 2 days. Then there was this Cawa - Cawa incident in 1989, remember the Rizal Ali incident? When they took hostage a general in Zamboanga city, so at that time, General de Villa was the chief of staff. So he assembled a special police team, a special team to go to Zamboanga to rescue the hostaged general. So there was this military plane at Villamor Air Base, and I was talking to some people if I could go with them. But they said that I can't go because it was a purely military mission. So what I did was, I sneaked into the plane, and hid myself in the ammunition compartment. It was all bullets. So when the plane took off, I think it was only one hour after the plane took off that I went out of the compartment. And General de Villa was really mad at me. He said "How come you are here? Who authorized you to come here?" But anyway, I was already on board and they cannot turn back so they took me in. I only had P30 in my pocket, I had no clothes, and I stayed in Zamboanga for 5 days. It was a good experience. Then another incident, this is in Laguna, at that time, the Military is claiming that the NPA's were killing their own and buried them in mass graves. So a team of army soldiers found mass graves in Siniloan, or Lumban Laguna. So I think it was only a photo op. So the military brought in about a dozen photographers by helicopters and I think I was the only reporter allowed to go. So we were dropped from the helicopter in the middle of a forest in Laguna. I think we jumped, maybe not too high, I think 6 feet to the ground. And then we stayed there for two nights. And then we hiked for I think two days, back to the town center. And I think it took them two days, because I was with them. Because, without me, maybe they would be moving faster, because I had a hard time climbing mountains. So they had to wait for me. And I think I gave them too much inconvenience because at night, they were worried that the NPA would detect our presence because I was snoring. Anyway, I survived the two nights and two days in a jungle in Laguna.

Q. Okay, sir, did you cover the events regarding the Ninoy assassination?
A. Ah no, that was one of my frustrations. Because remember that I was working for a newspaper owned by Kokoy Romualdez. So, we weren't even allowed to go to Sto. Domingo to look at Ninoy's body. So when he was buried, I think the news story we ran the next day was about a man who was hit by lightning in Luneta, while Ninoy's body was passing Rizal Park. It was really very disappointing, very frustrating for a journalist not to cover that kind of event. I think it's one of my biggest frustrations.

Q. Okay, how about the EDSA Revolution, did you cover it?
A. Yeah, I was with Manila Times.

Q. Can you describe the assignments you worked on?
A. I was among those who covered Butz Aquino's march from Cubao to EDSA, between Crame and Aguinaldo. I think during that duration of 4 days, I was not able to go home. Most of us, including Allan (Robles) stayed at the Manila Times office. We were just given food and some T shirts to change into. But, I never went home. And then I remember that on the last day, there was this hostage taking at the Makati Police Headquarters. And there was some shooting and I think several people died. Because Manila Times at that time was not too generous in giving bylines to reporters. I was happy because when I went back to the office, my story was the front page story for the next day. And I saw my byline.

Q. And this was the first time that you saw your byline?
A. I think it was the first time to see my byline for Manila Times. But things change in just an hour and a half, because Marcos left the Philippines, so we changed the front page, and my story was put inside.

Q. So, how about the coup attempts? Did you cover them?
A. All of them. I covered all of them.

Q. You were with?
A. The (Manila) Chronicle. Including the hunt for these rebel soldiers, I also had meetings with the rebel soldiers, secret meetings with them, several times.

Q. Can you describe these secret meetings?
A. Yeah. They have their contacts who called us, or gave us cryptic messages. Because, telephone conversations and fax messages were being monitored at that time, so they usually call and give us coded messages like "Please come to Sto. Domingo church on Sunday for the baptism of whoever". It means that we have to go in the church, for example they say 11 o'clock in the morning for the baptism, but actually we go there that night at 11. And there are some people who will pick us up and take us to their hide outs. The longest trip I made was, I think, one whole day. I was asked to go to Mc Donalds in Commonwealth Avenue at 5 o'clock in the morning. Then the contact came at 8 o'clock and asked us to go to Sto. Domingo church. Then in the church, we were asked to take a jeepney to Monumento, and from Monumento, a van took us to Luneta and then we changed car, then we drove to Tagaytay. Then spent, I think 4 hours in Tagaytay, and then finally, we went to Nasugbu, Batangas. And then we took a bangka to a resthouse where the rebels were waiting for us and we had the whole night until early morning to interview. And we left at 8 o'clock the following day, and we took the bus back to Manila. One time, we went to Malabon in the cemetery where we had the interview.

Q. In the cemetery?
A. Yeah, yeah, in the cemetery.

Q. This was during the coup attempts?
A. Yeah, during the coup attempts, and in between. In 1986, just after the Manila Hotel incident, this was when the Marcos loyalists took over Manila hotel, I followed a convoy of soldiers towards Novaliches. I think they didn't want us to follow them.

Q. They knew that you were following them?
A. Yeah, so I think they fired their guns in the air to warn us. But, I think we still followed them for two more hours, before we realized that they really don't want to be followed. Because one of the soldiers stopped our car and told us to go back to Manila. I don't know where they were going. But, we were stopped in, I think, San Ildefonso Bulacan? I don't know where they were going.

Q. Sir, you were with the Manila Times before it closed this year, 1999, what was your position there?
A. I was the assistant news editor.

Q. Sir, any memorable experiences with the Manila Times before it closed?
A. Nothing really. When we ran those stories about the corruption and the power deal, I was in Mindanao. I was in Basilan and Tawi Tawi, covering the MNLF. Because they had some livelihood projects, so I went there to visit because some of these livelihood projects were funded by the Americans, US Aid. So I was away, so when I came back, they already had the story. And it was my day off when Estrada decided to file the libel case against us. And I was again in Davao when the libel case was filed. So, I think the most memorable there was being interviewed on radio, television by other reporters. But I think the hardest part was to keep the newspaper going, because there were some reports that maybe will be more accommodating to the government, or to President Estrada because of the libel case, or our owners will ask us to tone down our stories, but the biggest and the hardest thing I did is to look for more explosive stories. So, the wire tapping stories on Lacson, I think I had a series of, again, secret meetings with some of my friends in the police and in the military who gave me documents and information about these secret, illegal activities. And sometimes I asked one of our reporters to meet one of these contacts. So I think those were really memorable, trying to keep the integrity and independence of the paper, because at that time there were already pressures from the owners for us to be more friendly with the government. Well, we fully understand their concern, because it's their money, it's their paper, but I think we have our own responsibility as editors, as reporters, as journalists to report what's really happening in the government.

Q. Sir, as a reporter, you have witnessed the newspapers changing through the years. Can you please describe the most significant changes you are aware of, for example, in office equipment.
A. The fax machine. Yeah, the fax machine. When I started in 1983, there were no fax machines, there were no computers, and there were no cell phones. So, I remember I was asked to go to Laguna to follow a hijacking case. So, when I filed my story, I called on the phone and dictated my story to the one in charge at the desk. So I think it took me 30 minutes to complete sending the stories, but now if you have the fax machines, just 1 minute, 2 minutes, and I think the cell phones are also very helpful. Because now you can make a call anywhere, anytime, before, you have to look for a calling station. And this was only in 1992 when I was covering the presidential campaign. I was in San Jose, Antique, and there was only one telephone in the municipal building, and there were six of us reporters. So we made an agreement, because if one of us will file our story, the others will get scooped. So, we agreed that maybe we will delay filing our stories for the next day, because we were travelling that night to Kalibo, and in Kalibo, there are many telephones. So, we agreed to file the story in Kalibo. Well, I was lucky because everybody agreed to the system. But, there are still places in the Philippines at that time, 1992, that telephones are not available, so it really hampers coverage, especially for reporters. Now, you have laptops and cell phones and you can send stories wherever you are, as long as there are cell sites.

Q. Do you use E mail in the recent years to send your stories?
A. Yes, yes.

Q. So, it's used a lot nowadays? A. Used a lot, yes. I think the Internet is a big advantage now, because you can make your research through the web, before, you have to go to the libraries, you have to go to the government offices, and there are a lot of information that they are not happy to give you. So, for journalists, access to information is important. And, the Internet has opened a lot of windows, a lot of doors for journalists. Especially, in the government, but the problem is, the government websites are not updated. Sometimes, you really have to go to the government offices. Over the years, less than a generation, there has been tremendous development and advances in journalism because of the advancements in technology, telecommunications, information technology.

Q. So, right now sir, you are a correspondent for Asahi Shimbun ...
A. Oh, I'm helping the Manila Bureau correspondent, because she is our Manila Bureau chief. So, have you seen our newspaper? It's in Japanese. So, I can't write in Japanese, so I make stories in English and our Bureau chief translates it into Japanese.

Q. So, how do you send your stories to Japan?
A. Oh, we have E mail.

Q. Sir, how about the writing style of the reporters through the years, has it changed?
A. Yes, before newspapers are boring. News stories, especially crime stories are written in an old-fashioned straight news, "de kahon" diba? Today, it's more featurized, with emphasis on the human drama. When I was with Manila Times lately, we were featurizing our stories. And, sometimes when we write stories, the style is similar to the news magazines. So, I think it helps a lot, because newspapers cannot compete with radio and television in terms of delivering the news developments on real time basis. For example, there's an accident at the airport, the radio and television can beat you in reporting the stories, so, what can newspapers offer? Maybe a more in depth reporting with a lot of perspectives, background, and more featurized reporting. Q. How about in the attitude of reporters? Have you seen any changes through the years?
A. Yes, yes. I think it's for the worse, because I remember our old timers in the newspapers before, they really work hard. I know a few reporters who are above fifty, who still cover the beat, and I think they are more aggressive than the younger ones. Th problem nowadays with our younger reporters, especially new ones, I think it is somehow connected with these advances in technology. We have this, what we call the "Xerox Journalism". You know what's xerox journalism?

Q. What's Xerox Journalism?
A. For example, I will write a story, then here comes another reporter, he gets my story and xeroxes it, basta copies it. So, that's what we call xerox journalism., you just copy and ... sharing of information, sharing of data, it's kind of a "pack mentality". It's one way of managing the news actually, for example newspapers in one beat talk among themselves and say "Why don't we file this story tomorrow?" . Or, "Why don't we have this kind of a slant on the story?" Or, "Can we postpone this?" So, it's one way of managing the story, and maybe in your communication lessons, you will know the word "gatekeepers". Gatekeepers are the ones who control the flow of information. This is one way of gatekeeping news stories. I think the saddest thing about journalism today is that sometimes, our reporters do not confirm or double check the information. For example, you are the one who covered the event, so you write the story. Then I was at the same event, so I just copy your story. So, sometimes, if you made mistakes, I'll make the same, maybe even more mistakes because I wasn't there. Because there is a tendency for news reporters to outdo each other by way of writing, although you cover one incident, you make your story better by way of writing. Maybe a better kind of angle, a better kind of interpretation of an event. So, sometimes you put in too much description, you tend to sensationalize it, and sometimes the problem is when you try to invent facts. Like, sometimes you don't interview a person, but when you write it, you make it seem like you interviewed the person. Or, you were not at the event, but when you write it, you describe it as if you were really there. When I was in the defense beat, 1988 or 1987, that was at the height of the insurgency, so there were many fighting between soldiers and NPA's. So, sometimes, the military reports said that there was this big encounter, 2 soldiers were killed, and then an undetermined number of NPA's were killed. And because in newspapers, it will not interest readers if you say that an undetermined no. of people were killed. So sometimes, you put in the numbers, even if there was no report. You say "Oh, 15 rebels were killed." But, there was no report. Sometimes it is the mistake of the military in reporting. They say that based on what they saw, 50 rebels were killed, but there is no confirmation. Confirmation is the actual body count. That is how many bodies were found or recovered. That would be more accurate, but since readers want to see more blood, the maximum number of people, sometimes they try to put in any number. This is true especially in typhoons, in calamities, floods, so if you look at the newspapers, there are no two newspapers with the same figure. I think each newspaper will try to outdo each other by reporting a higher number of casualties. That's the problem.

Q. Sir, what about the methods of printing and circulation through the years, what improvements, changes have you seen? Methods of printing, for example, are you aware of any changes?
A. I'm not particularly aware of the technology, but I think most of the printing presses now are better, bigger and faster. The quality of the newspaper actually depends on the paper, on the ink, because, most of the printing presses now are almost the same. So, it's actually on the kind of newsprint being used and the ink. So, you will see, I think the Star has good paper quality and the color pictures they have are sharper than the others. I think it depends on the equipment. But I think most newspapers now have better equipment. And they can run, I think 200,000 copies in an hour. I think some presses are capable of that.

Q. Sir, how about the circulation today?
A. Circulation figures are usually bloated. Like if you say that the Inquirer has 200,000 daily circulation, I think the conservative number would be 150 or less.

Q. So you think they exaggerate?
A. Yeah. Because we Filipinos are not a reading public. One newspaper, I think an average of 6 - 7 people share that one single newspaper. Have you tried taking the LRT? Did you see any newspapers inside? Very few. Because, if you go to Japan, the Japanese read the newspapers on the train, and after, they just leave it behind. I think everybody has a newspaper, everybody buys the newspaper, and everybody gets the newspaper at home, in the morning. The difference between the system of newspapers in Japan and here is that in the Philippines, we have only one printing facility, for example, the Inquirer, the Bulletin, they only print in Manila. Then they deliver it by bus to northern Luzon, to Baguio, to Ilocos and to the Visayas and Mindanao by air. So, sometimes the flights are cancelled, so ther will be no newspapers in Mindanao, in the Visayas. In Japan, they have regional printing. So, if the Asahi Shimbun is being printed in Tokyo, it's also being printed in Osaka, it's also being printed in Sapporro, it's also printed in Osaka. And they have a more efficient delivery system so everybody gets their newspapers in the morning in their homes. In the Philippines, people in Ilocos get their copies of the Inquirer at 11 o'clock in the morning. And in Davao, they get it at around 9'oclock. And in Tawi Tawi, they get their newspapers one day late. Not all newspapers, very few. So there's a big difference. Because in the Philippines, newspapers are not a business venture for the owners. For them it's only a tool. Maybe to protect their own political and economic interests. It's like a gun, if you are a businessman, and you own a newspaper, it's like a gun in your holster. If somebody tries to attack you, you can hit back by using your newspaper, and that's what the newspapers are doing now. Like the Bulletin, Star, stories that are negative against the owners, against the friends and relatives of the owners, against certain officials are not allowed to be printed. So, it's actually a tool.

Q. So, are you saying that maybe the journalism ethics have suffered through the years?
A. Well, it's part of the system. I think one good study, later if you are doing an in depth study about the media. I suggest you try looking at media ownership, it's a good field, because right now, if you look at the newspapers, the owners are big businessmen, most of them are Chinese-Filipinos with big business interests.

Q. Okay, sir, what was your biggest mistake as a young reporter? Your biggest boo boo when you were a young reporter.
A. My biggest boo boo... Ah, I remember, I was night shift in People's Journal, so when I left the office at Port Area, our Entertainment writer, Franklin Cabalona, joined my team, because I am going to Pasig, so I can drop him off in Greenhills. (Interview was briefly interrupted by a telephone call for Mr. Mogato.. This segment of the tape contains some information about the Japanese newspaper, Asahi Shimbun, which Mr. Mogato shared the interviewer. The information is found in the Asahi Shimbun brochure, so this portion was not transcribed.)

Q. Sir, you were talking about Franklin Cabaluna?
A. Oo, yes si Franklin. Sabi niya "sabay ako sa inyo". So, binaba namin siya sa Greenhills. At that time, there was this Scene 1 Take 1 disco. Ang may ari non si Jesse Ejercito yata. So he invited us for a drink. Sabi niya "wala pa namang balita e, uminom muna kayo dito." So, I think we had so much fun, we stayed up to 4 AM. So, I decided to go to Pasig at 4:30, so when I arrived at Pasig, yung kaibigan kong pulis, sabi sa akin "o, why are you here? There's a big fire in Pasay." I said "Forget about that fire, I can get it later." But he said that it was a big fire, a hotel fire. I said "Really? Ano bang nasunog?" Sabi niya "The Regent." So, I didn't believe him because he was always joking. So, I went to Makati to the police, and I saw that all the fire engines were out. And someone told me, "Oh, there's a big fire in Regent." So, I think I arrived at Regent at around, a little past 5 o'clock, when the bodies were being brought down. I missed that coverage. But luckily, I think there were 15 of us in the area. So, they didn't notice that I was not around. So, I think one of them was one of the editors, he said "San ka ba nanggaling? I didn't see you?" . I said "No, I was there!". So when I arrived, the bodies were being brought down, ano. I think that's a lesson for me, so I think the next time Franklin invited us for a drink, I said "No, no, no, thank you." Actually, there's another. This one was a hostage taking incident in Barangay Capitolyo. A policeman invited me, I think it was his birthday, so again, I went with him. I didn't know that there was a hostage…

Q. So you missed it again?
A. No, I didn't miss it, I was on time before the rescue attempt was made. But, I think when I arrived there, all the television, all the radio, all the newspapers were there already. But, I didn't miss anything. So, anyway, I came late. I didn't arrive before the others.

Q. Sir, what were the most important things you've learned while working as a newspaper journalist? The most important values you've acquired?
A. Dalawa lang e, I think accuracy in reporting and truthfulness. Because if you miss tese two, I think you should not be in the journalism industry. These are very important, accuracy and truthfulness. Japanese newspapers are very particular, especially in age. They want it exact. So, for example, your birthday is next month, you're turning 20 next month, so we will report you as 19. Because in the Philippines, we don't really care. If you're having your birthday tomorrow, you're 20. But the Japanese, if you're birthday is tomorrow and you're 19 today, then you're 19. And the spelling, correct name, your designation, and the actual event. So you have to check, double check, double check. I think you have to check three times, even five times to be more accurate with your facts. It's really important because sometimes, you get legal problems, you get libel suits. I had my share of libel suits, many of them before.

Q. You did?
A. Yeah, in the '89 coup, I wrote that there were at least five generals involved in the coup initially. Because, I heard it from one senior officer while reporting it to General de Villa at that time. So I immediately wrote the story because we came out with a special edition. And because the report was initial, it did not carry the correct information. So, I think the one reporting it based his information on an intelligence report which was not verified. So I think I missed two names which were in the report, but were not actually part of the coup. So they were really very angry and they said that they will file a libel case. But I was lucky because they did not file it. Because they said they understood that there was confusion at the start, but they told me that I should be careful next time, so I think that was a lesson for me. So now, what I do is, I really wait for the official report, then I check and check and check. Sometimes, when you are a new reporter, you get information from one source, because most of the newspapers now, if you read some of the explosive stories, usually they come from a single source, and sometimes unnamed, or people who don't want their names to be quoted. This is really dangerous, at the Manila Times before, we have this policy that we won't use unnamed sources unless we are sure that the source is really reliable. Or have been using him for some time, but even if he has this integrity and reliability, we don't run the story unless his story is confirmed by one or two independent sources. So, when we write our stories, we have a solid lock. Unlike the Inquirer, sad to say, sometimes they run stories based on rumor, and what happened to them? They had a number of libel cases, their credibility and integrity has suffered, and I cannot blame President Estrada when he says the Inquirer is promoting gossip or trying to discredit him. Because I would admit that the Inquirer has so many lapses in the past. But, the other papers are quite very careful. Today is very careful. The Times during our time is very careful. The Bulletin is exactly not a paper, it's a publication for notices and press releases. The others are too controlled. The Journal before was the mouthpiece of the government. Malaya is Lucio Tan's newsletter. Business World is very independent but it is mainly business oriented so I think the only courageous newspaper is the Inquirer but I think they really have to improve more on their credibility because they have so many lapses in the past. Uh, remember the time that they reported that when Erap was asked about Kosovo, they reported that he didn't know and was responding to a different question. I think it was, well I cannot blame the reporter, because I think it was the mistake of the desk, of the editors, because Estrada was completely answering a different question. So, that was big problem the Inquirer had, Estrada. They really quoted him out of context. And I think, I don't know if it was deliberate, I cannot say. It was really very embarrassing to the media, especially to the newspaper. Of course, we won't tell it outside.

Q. Okay, so sir, for the closing remarks, what advice could you give to the young reporters just starting nowadays in the newspaper business? Words of wisdom?
A. Oh, you won't get rich in doing journalism work. Unless you allow yourself to be coorupted, and it's not really an easy job, it requires dedication. When I was starting a few years back, it means sleeping in police stations, not going home for days, taking all the risks, and it really needs a lot of reading. Because you improve your writing skills by reading newspapers, magazines, you take in a few… sometimes you borrow lines, and then you develop your own style. And then you read for stock knowledge, you read for background information and I usually tell our young reporters to have their own libraries. Because, if you write news stories, maybe ten years later, you'll need stories for background, like today I was writing a story of the arrest of one of the kidnappers of Takeugi, the case happened in 1986. So you have to look back at the files, and if you don't have one, then you'd better get one. Because, sometimes, you can't get it from the library, it will take too much time, but if you have your own, you know where you are keeping these records, it's easy for you to access. And the computers are very helpful in filing stories. Before when I was starting there were no computers, so it was all paper. But now, you can access very easily. But, for young journalists, it's not an easy job, it takes a lot of dedication and hard work. You must remember that this business is about accuracy, truthfulness and fairness. In the Manila Times before, we don't run stories that accuses one party only, you have to get the other one, so it takes days, weeks, to get the other side. Because, other newspapers do it, okay, we will write the side of this guy, so tomorrow, we'll have a follow up. So this story goes on running for weeks and days. But it's not the kind of responsible journalism.

Q. Okay, so that's it, sir. Thank you so much for your time.
A. Thank you also.