Southern Leyte media plants avocado fruit tree for "Black Day"

Maasin City (10 December) -- Members of the Fourth Estate here joined a worldwide outpouring of mass actions intended to focus the headlights on the plight of 30 Filipino journalists slain in the now-infamous Ampatuan massacre last November 23.

But instead of mouthing invectives, as has been wont in holding public rallies, the group solemnly planted a fruit tree, an avocado, as their own version of pinning hopes that one day the perpetrators would pay for the crimes they have committed in deliberately killing 57 innocent people, many of them women.

An avocado is green, especially the evergreen variety, and it carries lots of nutritious substance for one's body, and this symbolizes hope, life, and strength, qualities that every working member of the press must possess nowadays, said Jani Arnaiz, Inquirer Correspondent and President of the Associated Media of Southern Leyte (AMSL).

Wearing their signature black T-shirts printed with the message "Stop Killing Journalists" printed in white color, Monching Buyser, DYDM anchorman and Police Beat reporter, took the lead in digging a hole at the backyard of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) office at barangay Combado here before noon today.

He was surrounded by Jade Nombrado of DYDM and Southern Leyte Balita, Jani Arnaiz, Erna Sy Gorne, PIA Infocen Manager, Rebecca Cadavos and this writer, both of PIA, while others had left much earlier, unable to wait for the seedling to arrive, for some pressing personal concerns.

There was a slight drizzle as the planting of the avocado seedling was in progress, but this did not bother the group to finish the task until everything fits in.

The rains, in fact, would ensure that the newly planted fruit tree would grow in its fullness in due time, barring any unforseen events.

Elsewhere around the country and around the world, other media groups organized today a "Black Day" for mourning and indignation to demand justice for those who met untimely deaths in last month's gruesome slaughter.

Last week, AMSL members lit candles and offered prayers at the foot of the Jose Rizal monument at the Maasin public plaza in a show of heartfelt solidarity and deep sympathy with our fallen colleagues. (By BONG PEDALINO, PIA-Southern Leyte)

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