HOTSPOT
Conflict is a tough, dangerous and complex field to cover. Julie S. Alipala did it for some three decades.
Julie passed away in the morning of April 3 due to complications from endometrial cancer. She was 58.
Those who follow the issues, and the journalists who cover them, would have known it immediately. The journalists of course swiftly broke the news of her passing, and have since been posting their tributes.
I am fortunate to have known her, and to have joined her in a Filipino journalists’ delegation to snowy Oslo, Norway in December 2012.
In one of the chats we had after colleagues and friends mounted late last year a fundraiser here in Manila for her cancer fight, Julie told me stories of teachers and Badjaos in her home town reaching out to her, offering to help. She said they held garage sales, and sent her fresh Pampano.
Julie won honors for her work, including the Red Cross Award for Humanitarian Reporting, the Catholic Mass Media Award, journalism scholarships and fellowships.
But I guess the highest possible honors could come from those she worked alongside with, the powerful persons she covered, and the people whose concerns she sought to be better understood.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines described Julie as “a colleague, friend, and an outspoken defender of press freedom.”
Allow me to quote here the rest of the NUJP statement:
“Julie, based in Zamboanga City, covered the Zamboanga, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi area as a correspondent for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and was no stranger to covering conflict and its effects on the communities there.
“She did not shy away from covering difficult stories, sometimes at the risk of her own safety both online and offline.
“In 2018, she was harassed online over a story on the deaths of seven farmers in Sulu accused of being members of the Abu Sayyaf Group but whom relatives said were only out to pick fruits.
“Julie made significant contributions to promoting journalists' welfare and safety, serving as an instructor for numerous training sessions and workshops across the country.”
Julie served for a long time as a national directorate member of the NUJP.
She was “a force of nature,” according to former Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate.
“Her journey began in the fertile ground of alternative journalism, at the now-defunct Media Mindanao News Service in the late 1980s, where our paths first crossed. There, she honed her craft, weaving the stories of Zamboanga, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi with a depth and sensitivity that resonated deeply,” said Zarate.
“I can still picture those nights, after filing our stories via phone patch or Press call collect, as we ventured into the heart of Zamboanga’s media scene, sharing stories and igniting crucial dialogues,” Zarate added.
Journalist-turned-lawyer Romel Bagares wrote on Facebook: “With your passing, Mindanao lost an institution of courageous, resourceful, compassionate, and solid journalism.”
Presidential peace adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. wrote in a statement that “as a former commander of the Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City, I personally witnessed Julie's unwavering journalistic discipline. She possessed a rare ability to dissect the root causes of conflict in Mindanao, consistently amplifying the voices of the marginalized.”
Galvez said: “Her work went beyond mere reporting; it was a powerful examination of the struggles faced by the vulnerable and the victims of conflict. By illuminating these realities, she empowered decision makers to refine policies and fostered an environment where the seeds of peace could take hold and flourish.”
Many ordinary people are also honoring her with their own tributes, sharing anecdotes of how she sought them and listened to their stories.
I am expecting to read more such stories about Julie.
Julie’s remains now lie in state at Chapel B, La Merced Funeral Homes, Governor Alvarez St., Zamboanga City.
Details of the funeral service will be announced soon, according to fellow Zamboanga journalist Queenie Casimiro.