Objectionable, insensitive caption

As a Muslim and leader of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), please allow me to add my voice to that of the country’s Muslim community, concerning the caption of a banner photo. (Inquirer, 5/9/12)

The photo shows President Aquino shaking hands with Norjannah Estrellita Tan Yap-Mitmug (garbed in black with head and translucent facial cover). This was fairly captioned in the first edition, thus: “PALACE GUEST. President Aquino greets a Muslim woman garbed in a burka during the oath-taking of officers in charge of the ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly held in Malacañang on Tuesday. The unidentified woman is a relative of one of the officers.” However, on the newspaper’s second edition, the initial clause “PALACE GUEST” was ignobly changed to “SECURITY RISK?” (also all caps, though in question mark) and on the same upper-fold space of the front page.

To say the least, this comes to Inquirer readers as a form of cultural insensitivity, most objectionable not only to Muslims but also in the practice of fair journalism.

At the rate reactions on it are being passed on by individuals and even by media organizations on FB accounts, the caption simply takes the newspaper’s good name off its track of known, laudable objectivity in presenting stories about religions, including Islam and Muslim culture and tradition.

The caption writer should have done a fair research on the subject, who is the mother of a human rights lawyer and a good wife to one of the country’s most honest officials, as they are also known to such great nationalists and statespersons as former Senators Jovito Salonga and Teofisto Guingona. Mitmug is the mother of lawyer Rasul Mitmug Jr. Prior to his appointment as assemblyman of the

ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly for the first legislative district of Lanao del Sur, lawyer Mitmug served as a senior legal staff of incumbent Senator Guingona.

The Mitmug family and the country’s Muslim community

deserve an apology, no less.

—MUJIV S. HATAMAN,

OIC regional governor,

Autonomous Region

in Muslim Mindanao

The Inquirer has issued an apology, which was published in its May 11 issue.—Ed.