Interviewers: Priscilla Maria C. Mortel and Lorne Anthony Oñate
L.A.: Good afternoon. My name is L.A. Onate and we’re here at The Philippine Daily Inquirer and have Mr. Cenon Bibe for our interview
Priscilla: This is Priscilla Mortel as well. This is for INTPRIN, oral history assignment.
L.A.: Okay, for our first question
Priscilla: Let’s first introduce Mr. Cenon Bibe.
Cenon Bibe: I’m Cenon Bibe. I’ve been a journalist for the past eighteen years. I’ve been in the Inquirer for five years and right now I’m desk editor. I worked my way up from being a reporter to being a copy editor. I’m now connected to Libre, which is the free paper of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Priscilla: So, moving on, let’s start with the first question. So the first question is, describe the circumstances leading to the informant’s employment into the newspaper. So how did you get in the Inquirer?
Cenon Bibe: Actually, it’s a very long story but let’s put it this way, I used to work for the Manila Times, which was still under the Gokongwei’s. It was in the Manila Times that then the President Joseph Estrada pressured, so it closed shop in 1998. So what happened in 1998 was the Manila Times closed shop it was because of this “ninong-ninong” incident where the Manila Times described then President Joseph Estrada as being the godfather of the power deal so that when the Manila Times closed shop, the owners of the Manila Times opened another tabloid. So I, they called me to conceptualize and then to put up a team that would form this new tabloid and this, I called this tabloid “Tumbok”. This is a Tabloid in Tagalog, in Filipino, which was started in 1998. And then 2001 or 2002, the Philippine Daily Inquirer started its branch, sister company called the Inquirer Publications Incorporated. And Inquirer Publications Incorporated handled mostly tabloids so the Inquirer had opened a section for tabloids. So they acquired the “Bandera” and “Tumbok” which was then under the Gokongwei’s and so these formed the core of the Inquirer publications and from the Inquirer publications, in 2003, an opening, the metrodesk of the Philippine Daily Inquirer looked for an editor, a copy editor. So my boss at RPI, Dennis Valdez recommended me and I was transferred to the Philippine Daily Inquirer and from then on, I moved to several sections of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, from the metro section, we opened another paper which is compact because a tabloid which is supposed to be a mini broadsheet so to speak so we opened that paper and joined that paper however, unfortunately it closed shop a year ago. So from compact, I moved to “Libre”. That’s why I’m now with “Libre” where I also act as a copy editor. What I do as a copy editor in “Libre” is we get news from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, we translate it into Filipino, we shorten it, short and simple, and then we layout pages and edit. Then this newspaper, the paper is distributed at the lightrail stations, the MRT and LRT, Line 1, Line 2.
Priscilla: What year did you start in the Manila Times?
Cenon Bibe: I started in the Manila Times, actually I started with them in the year 1989. I joined them in 1989 as a on the job training. I was finishing my journalism course in U.P. back then and I set up my education and the very last thing that I would be doing was my on the job training because really, I had planned to join whichever I could to go straight to work after my schooling. I was supposed to take up my OJT during my third year in journalism however I deferred that and took it up as my very last subject in my fourth year so I saw a lot of people taking up their OJT’s and having to leave the company where we were with only to continue working. So what I thought was why do that, so I did my OJT last and then fortunately the Manila Times absorbed me and took me as a correspondent. And as a correspondent I had to gather news for the Manila Times and also for their sister paper, the “Bandera”. This is an English tabloid. So 2003, I moved to Inquirer from IPI.
Priscilla: Bakit kayo nag-take up ng journalism? Has it always been your dream?
Cenon Bibe: Actually I wanted to become a priest. I graduated high school in 1984 and I went straight to the seminary. After two years in the seminary, the priests there, my father superiors, thought that the seminary life, the priesthood was not for me so they asked me to go on leave and I did not go back so maybe the reason why I wanted to become a priest is because of my zeal for the truth. I was, I what you may call a “chismoso” for the truth. I wanted bits, bits and pieces or even I wanted information about the truth about what was going on so I wanted to become a priest. Leaving the seminary, I thought what else could I do for my, to give in to the zeal of looking for the truth so I took up journalism.
Priscilla: So the early years, what was it like when you first interned in the Manila Times?
Cenon Bibe: Actually I did not consider it as a job. It was for me something I enjoyed. It was something that I loved doing so I did not really see it as work. I did not see it as something that was hard. So I enjoyed going out of the field. I was actually assigned a graveyard shift so I went to work at 10 PM and went off at 9 AM. At 10 PM, we went around gathering news. What I did was I was assigned to the police beat. Were we did police reports accidents, fires, rape incidents, cases, court cases. Every night I went around metro manila specifically Quezon City, Kalookan, Mandaluyong, San Juan, each place, I went around police stations looking for stabbing victims, killings, I went around hospitals looking for accident victims, I came face to face with dead people.
Priscilla: Buti, you didn’t get scared?
Cenon Bibe: I don’t know.
Priscilla: You got used to it?
Cenon Bibe: It’s probably because I loved what I was doing. What happened then, the bad thing that happened is that having all this encounters blood and gore, sad stories, sob stories, crime stories somehow by 1992, I felt I was already immuned. I became desensitized, 2 years in to the job of doing police work I became desensitized. I remember it dawned upon me. Do you know Jay Ilagan?
Priscilla and L.A.: No
Cenon Bibe: Do you know Edgar Mortiz?
L.A.: Yes
Cenon Bibe: Al Tantay have you heard of him? Do you know Christopher de leon? Of course, these 4 guys had a group called “bananas”, they were the “bad bananas”, Christopher de Leon, Edgar Mortiz, Jay Ulagan and Al Tantay. Jay Ilagan was one of their buddies. He was the husband of Amy Austria. Do you know amy Austria? When Jay Ilagan died, although I can’t remember, probably 1992, the media turned it into a circus everybody was jousting for a good shot, a good picture of Jay Ilagan as he was laying on the gurney on the bed. So that was what happened. I felt na everybody was laughing for most of the journalists there parang it seemed all like a joke. Everybody was saying “trabaho lang, trabaho lang” but somehow later, I felt that What’s this? We were insensitive. Until there was Amy Austria screaming her lungs out. Telling people “Please respect my husband! He’s dead!”
Priscilla: Sir, how did he die?
Cenon Bibe: He died in a car accident, he was stopped at a traffic light. He owned a big bike. His big bike fell to the side and leaning on the bike, his head hit the car beside him, that broke his neck, he died there. So yun nga parang we’ve lost. Ako personally, I stopped feeling for people, everything for me was just a job. So that time, I prayed to God sabi ko “Lord, ano ba itong nangyayari?” so somehow God, all this time I believe that God has been guiding me and at that point came he was the one who prepared me for another job. He took me, He lead me to become a copy editor for “Bandera” which is a tabloid then after “Bandera”, Manila Times. Ms. Malou Mangahas took me in as a copy editor for the Manila Times and then that came too, that lead me to here.
Priscilla: So I’m guessing that that was your most memorable experience or do you have other stories?
Cenon Bibe:There are a lot.
Priscilla: What’s the most memorable?
Cenon Bibe: There is a lot actually. For example, I was there when the Ozone Disco burned. I was probably the only journalist who was inside Ozone Disco when the retrieval operations were being conducted. I saw how…
Priscilla: You saw the people who got burned?
Cenon Bibe: Actually they were not burned. A lot of them were not burned.
Priscilla :They were just suffocated?
Cenon Bibe: They were just suffocated. There were about 10 people piled up near the doorway and after that they were slid across the floor, so they could be picked up by the ambulances, and the funeral parlor workers. That was one, I also covered the Pagoda Bocaue tragedy. I saw hundreds of people being embalmed in the middle of a basketball court in the town plaza, on the town stage being sucked out of their ano. Those are the kinds of things I came face to face with, I told you dead people, 10 people lying on the street that was my first salvage. The police said out actually see there how they were lined up on the street. So yoon ang nangyari doon, ganoong klase ng mga experiences dun. Si Lino Brocka I covered the death of Lino Brocka. Basta madami. Take all these things together that could probably explain why by 1992 every night I called uppolice station. We asked police officers “Sir may patay ba? Ay hindi buhay pa eh. Ay sir tatawag ako mamaya baka patay na yan”. Because if the person was not dead then that was not news for us. So parang callus nga eh. Parang anu ba yun? Tao pa ba tayo? Probably they’re journalists. These are things they become weary of. They become desensitize, Although sometimes kailangan maging objective, pero yun nga, one of the dangers.
Priscilla: So hindi po kayo nakakakita ng multo?
Cenon Bibe: Pag nakakita ako ng multo ang attitude ko is interview-hin, Kailang ba kayo namatay?
Priscilla: In terms of location po of the Manila Times, what can you say about it?
Cenon Bibe: Manila Times was then in the basement of Robinsons Hypermart. Yung ginagawa ngayong Robinsons mall sa corner Edsa tsaka Pioneer, nandyan dating yung Hypermart. It was a one level Supermarket sa ilalim noon sa basement noon nandun yung opisina ng Bandera, Manila Times, ng Summit Publications - where they did FHM, Cosmo…
Priscilla: So yung location maayos naman?
Cenon Bibe: Okay nga siya, yun nga lang na sa ilalim ng basement.
Priscilla: The people…
L.A.: How were the people like po?
Cenon Bibe: People are people, they come in different shapes and sizes, and they have different temperaments. I was telling you about Mr. Danny Mariano. He was my first editor in “Bandera”. Actually some people might call him a terror but for me yung mga terror, terror teachers, so called “terror professors”. So he’s not really a terror for me. I like bosses who are strong, aggressive, firm because in my experience, these are the people who can teach us a lot, diba? They push us to the limit. They are the people who strive to bring out the best in us. So sa akin mas okay yon eh. I’d rather have a terror boss or a terror teacher than a…
L.A.: Paranga wala lang…
Priscilla: Pero yung iba pong mga journalists po dito mabait naman?
Cenon Bibe: Oo, kaya lang nagbago na nung time ko noon. I see a difference. Back then journalism was a different profession. I don’t want to… Ayoko namang buhatin ang sarili kong bangko. Back then alas tres ng umaga when Ozone burned, my editor, Glenda Gloria, called me up at 3 AM, told me to go to Ozone disco to cover a story, and you know what, I went. Right now, try calling a journalist and kapag tinawagan mo sila ng madaling araw sasabihin nila, “ay sir off na ako eh! Tulog na ako. Nasa bahay na ako eh.” Ganoon. They complain. “ kasi wala na eh, 8 hours na eh, lagpas na eh”. So may mga ganoon na. Pero noon wala. Sila sir Chito iba yan. Yan yung mga beteranong journlists. Si Sir Ruben, yung nasa sa labas naka-yellow. He comes to work early. He goes home last. Yoon ang mga journalists, buhay nila yung pagsusulat. Ngayon pag pinadala mo nga sa ano, “Ay layo noon! Walang sasakyan, traffic!” Mareklamo! So iba na talaga. Nagkaroon ng pagbabago. I don’t know how exactly that came about. Nagbago.
Priscilla: Eh yung sa Manila Times at sa Inquirer, ano po yung mas okay na working environment? Saan kayo mas comfortable?
Cenon Bibe: Mas okay yung dito. Kasi for one, ang inquirer in my view, has one of the best employers. You’re working for the number one paper. ‘Yon lang yon at saka dito yung mga tao dito talagang mga seasoned na. Sila yung alam na nila yung mga sinasabi nila’ yon nga lang. Put all these experienced people, veterans in one room then you have…
L.A.: Inquirer.
Cenon Bibe: It’s not just the ideas, yung experience nila, the things that you can learn from them. Iba ‘yon eh. There are things that you cannot learn in school - that you can learn only through experience or working with people like them. Sa Manila Times magaling din nanamn sila eh. Sila Malou Mangahas, sila Glenda Gloria. Magagaling din naman sila kaya lang iba yung atmosphere. Mas maliit kase yung group doon compared dito.
Priscilla: So the working conditions? The hours…
Cenon Bibe: Dito mganda. If you’re a journalist and you work with the Inquirer, you’re probably in a very good place kasi sa iba mahirap pa ang work conditions doon.
L.A.: Yung salary naman po?
Cenon Bibe: If you work for the Inquirer, comfortable naman kahit papaano compared to other publications.
L.A.: The deadlines?
Cenon Bibe: Iyon lang. Ang deadlines talaga, nandyan ang deadlines. We have to work with deadlines. Kasi if you come out with a late paper, sira rin yon. With Libre, 100% kaming namimeet yung deadlinen of 10:30. Dati nga 9:30 kami eh pero na-extend pa kami ng 10:00 so simpleng-simple lang yon para sa amin. The problem comes in when yung ibang mga journalist, most especially yung mga reporters, alam mo hindi lang siguro ito for Inquirer lang, this is a general thing. Kapag nasa field ka kase, working on a story, nakuha mo ng story ng 8:00 yung story sa umaga you wait until 6:00 in the afternoon to do the story. Hindi ko alam kung bakit may ibang ganoon. Kasi dati nagmamadali kame eh. Nagpoprocrastinate yung mga journalist so minsan naiiwan dito. Na-lilate. Pagdating dito ng story may kulang pa, tatawagan mo pa sila, hindi pa sila sumasagot ng cellphone. Na-dedelay na nang na-dedelay. It’s really challenge for us.
L.A.: Were you ever a “cub” reporter?
Cenon Bibe: Cub reporting? Siguro nung nag-OJT ako, iyon yung cub reporting. Pero after that, I was pretty much on my own.
Priscilla: So how was it like when it was your first time niyo na maging reporter?
Cenon Bibe: For me it was fun.
Priscilla: It wasn’t scary?
Cenon Bibe: The tougher it got, the more fun I had. Pag may nasusunog na ganito naka abang na ako.
L.A.: You like the challenge?
Cenon Bibe: I like the challenge.
Pricilla: So what were the lessons you’ve learned?
Cenon Bibe: One lesson, one very important lesson, you have to learn to respect people, especially people in authority. Number one yung editors. Give them the respect. You obey. You do what they tell you to do. Pag nasa labas ka, your sources, yung mga policemen, politicians, you give them the respect because these are the people who will give you the stories. Tapos pag galit sayo ang police kahit may storya diyan hindi sasabihin sayo. “Sir mayroon ba kayong storya diyan? Ay wala eh.” Pero ang totoo nadoon na pala lahat ng reporter nagkakagulo doon. Dahil wala kang respeto sa kanila, but if they know you’re a respectful person, you’re doing your job well, sila mismo yung tatawag sayo. “May story dito. Ay sige po sir!”
Priscilla: May nakabangga na po ba kayo?
Cenon Bibe: Wala naman. For one thing takot na ako. At saka may respeto diyan. General, actually colonel, protector pala siya ng jueteng. So I was doing stories against him. What happened was galit na pala siya sa akin. So ininvite niya ako sa office niya, pinakitaan niya ako ng baril. Sabi niya, “Sige Cenon pumili ka tulad nito, may sight laser, when you’re walking in front of my office, I can easily shoot you. Ganito kagaling yung baril na ito”. Ito was a veiled threat. To me at that time, “Uy, sir ang galing noon ah!” Parang ganoon.
L.A.: So sa whole life niyo as a journalist, were there any memorable editors po na na encounter niyo?
Cenon Bibe: Lahat naman sila nakatulong sa akin.
Priscilla: How about when it comes to grammar?
Cenon Bibe: Kasi yung mga editors na yan, these are people who have vast deposits of experience. Nakapagipon na yan so they could tell you, for example may ginagawang story, “Uy Cenon, hindi naman ganito yan. Hindi nating ginagawang ganito yan o kaya dapat may attribution yung headline na ‘to”. Ganon! Yung mga bagay na hindi mo pa alam. So lahat ng mga editors memorable sa akin.
Priscilla: How were they when it comes to accuracy, ethics?
Cenon Bibe: Yun lang, sometimes yung grammar, when you’re doing stories, lots of stories, when you’re doing 10 thousand character stories, editing them to 5 thousand. It’s a tough job. So yung sa grammar dapat may proofreaders talaga. Ngayon yung sa accuracy we strive for accuracy pero sometimes nga may mga editors kasi na super tiwala sa mga sources nila. Hindi nila alam sinusunog na pala sila ng sources nila. Iyon yung term na ginagamit when they’re being given bum information. Like for example mayroon kaming story dito. Niloko kami, sabi nila ganito daw yung nangyari pero hindi naman pala. So even in the Inquirer there is someone, may mga bum stirrer, so wala talaga, it’s part of it. You just learn to be careful.
Priscilla: Any memorable colleagues?
Cenon Bibe: Isa sa mga pinaka naaalala ko lang ay si Mr. Rolly Fernandez. He was my professor in U.P.. He does the layouting. Malaki ang influence niya sa akin dahil siya talaga yung editor namin. Siya yung kumuha sa akin sa Manila Times kaya lang na-assign na ako sa Bandera doon sa tabloid kaya nga hindi ko siya naging editor. Siya lahat nag-aano. “Ganito Cenon, ganito”. Tapos nakikipagbiruan siya. He’s an ear when you need someone to talk to.
Priscilla: So what significant events have you covered like mga EDSA II po mga ganoon?
Cenon Bibe: EDSA II hindi.
Fritz: Eh yung mga Abu Sayyaf po? Mg MILF?
Cenon Bibe: Hindi hindi. Ang ano ko lang talaga basically yung Ozone Disco, Bocaue Pagoda tragedy, yung Jay Ilagan, Lino Brocka, yung sa Palawan mayor, si Sanchez, I covered the trial of Mayor Sanchez. I was there when the guilty verdict was handed down. Sometimes kasi hindi mo na maaalala eh. Sa sobrang dami itatago mo na lang. Every once in a while sasabihin mo, “Ay ganon pala iyon!”
Priscilla: So that’s it.
L.A.: Thank you very much Mr. Cenon Bibe
Cenon Bibe: Sana you got something from me
Prsicilla and L.A.: A lot, a lot po.
Cenon Bibe was born on June 9, 1967 in Manila. He studied journalism at the University of the Philippines Diliman. At the time of the interview, he was a copy editor at Inquirer Libre.
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