Raffy Tima on covering conflicts: Public should not just rely on statements from authorities, rebels

From Afghanistan to the siege of Lamitan, renowned journalist Raffy Tima is no stranger to dangerous coverages.

In an interview on “The Howie Severino Podcast,” Raffy shared the dangers of covering conflict, but also the importance for journalists to cover it.

The journalist said people should see the story for what it was and not just rely on statements issued by those involved or the authorities.

“Hindi kasi puwedeng mag-rely lang sa sasabihin ng military o sasabihin ng mga rebelde or sasabihin ng gobyerno. Kailangan mayroong independent na magsasabi, ano ba talaga ’yung nangyayari, at ’yun ’yung trabaho natin,” he said.

[We can’t just rely on statements of the military, the rebels, or the government. Someone independent has to check what’s really happening, and that is our job.]

Raffy flew to Afghanistan in 2001 after the Taliban lost Kabul, but clashes were still ongoing in the city. In the same year, he covered the siege in Lamitan, Basilan.

He shared that as time passed by, he and his colleagues had learned more and were able to adjust accordingly to the different kinds of dangers or threats that they could possibly encounter.

“As much as possible kung talagang sobra nang delikado, mayroong intel na baka kidnapin tayo, hindi na rin tayo nagpupunta. So tayo rin naman nag-a-adjust na, naghahanap na lang din tayo ng paraan para makapag-cover pa rin,” he said.

[As much as possible, if it’s really dangerous, if we have intel that we might be kidnapped, we won’t go there. We also adjust, we just find other ways to cover.]

Raffy said no story was worth dying for. He recalled times when his gut told him to stop pursuing certain stories because it was risky.

“So sino ba ang magbabalita kung patay na tayo, ’di ba?” he said.

[Who will report the news if we’re dead, right?]

Raffy said covering conflicts taught him to be more cautious.

“Parang ang naging epekto kasi sa akin nu’n is mas naging safe ako,” he said.

[Its effect was I stayed on the safe side.]

“Hindi ’yung nato-trauma na ako na ayoko nang gawin or natatakot na ako. Mas more on the side of, ‘maging cautious ka na-experience mo na ’to. Huwag mo nang gawin ’yan, o kaya ito ’yung mas magandang gawin, or huwag ka nang tumuloy,’ ’yung mga ganu’n.”

[I’m not traumatized to the point where I don’t want to do or I’m scared of certain things. It’s more of, “be cautious because you already experienced this. Don’t do it again, or it’s better to do this one, or just cancel it,” things like that.]

Despite all the violence and suffering he had witnessed, Raffy said he also saw acts of bravery and kindness, which kept him hopeful.

He recalled one time, he was interviewing a child rebel who turned out to be a target and was about to be shot right in front of him. Out of nowhere, a military officer who happened to be in the area turned up and saved him from being hit.

“Yun ’yung mga nakaka-inspire din. At sa lahat ng conflict, makikita mo talaga ’yun. Mayroon at mayroon kang mae-experience na ganu’n. Parang ’yun ang nagpu-fuel din sa akin na ’pag nagko-cover ka, e, alam mo na may ganito kang makikita. Kung minsan ’yun na ’yung hinahanap ko, e, para at least magkaroon naman ng positive spinning ang isang negative story,” he said.

[That’s what’s inspiring. In all conflicts, you’ll see that. You’ll experience something like that. That’s what fuels me when I cover, that I’ll be able to see something like that. Sometimes, that’s what I look for so that at least, there’s a positive spin in a negative story.] – Kaela Malig/RC, GMA News