This month, as the nation remembers Marawi one year after the armed takeover, Jun Veneracion returns to the once-embattled city to report on rehabilitation efforts and to revisit the people whose lives were affected by the crisis.
Those who closely followed the siege, they would remember the senior reporter for his exclusive reports on the city plagued by the war between the terrorists and government troops. He was among the very first group of journalists to reach Marawi City where he extensively covered the armed conflict up to the very end of the Maute takeover.
In a round-robin interview with Manila Standard Entertainment and some members of the press, Veneracion, who was the leader of GMA News team deployed in Marawi, narrated his experience covering the armed conflict.
“Based from the information that I got, there was going to be a rescue operation. So nasama ko yung team ko dun. My biggest concern was na baka may mangyari sa kanila. What would I tell their families?,” he started.
He said he wasn’t thinking of his own welfare but he admitted that the experience taught him to be a more responsible reporter. During the interview, he even quipped that the coverage that lasted for months made him closer to God especially at the height of the conflict where he and his team were covering exchange of gunfires between the terrorists and the government troops.
“I don’t pray a lot pero nung night na yun lahat ng dasal ginawa ko na. I was really prepared [to die]. I was prepared to go nung nasabi ko na yung lahat ng prayers na pwede sabihin. Ready na’ko nun. And thank God hindi naman nangyari,” he recounted.
Veneracion has been covering the Defense and Military beat which brought him to war-torn places throughout the country since 2003. Overseas, his reporting experience includes a month-long coverage in Afghanistan following the abduction of a Filipino UN worker. He is presently stationed at the Bureau of Customs, where he reports on seized luxury vehicles and other controversial cargo. He once reported on the terminologies used for shady deals within the agency, exposing a ‘lexicon’ which includes terms like tara (bribe money) and ulo ng aso (1000 pesos).
After fifteen years as one of GMA’s most seasoned senior reporters, Veneracion takes on a new challenge as host of multi-awarded Public Affairs program, Reporter’s Notebook.
“I’ve been to different places across the country especially dun sa gyera. I consider that as my field of expertise. Makikita mo din yung buhay. These kinds of expereinces help me relate to social issues.I mean, sanga sanga yan eh. It’s not all about war, sabi nga nila covering war is sexy kuno. Macho yung dating di ba? Naka-vest ka,” he said in jest.
Asked on what he can bring to the table being the new host of the multi-awarded show, Veneracion humbly said that he’s a senior reporter and he constantly seek continuous learning.
Veneracion is no stranger to Reporter’s Notebook. In July of 2007, while embedded with the Marines in a search and rescue operation in Basilan, he and his news team were caught in the middle of armed confrontation. In the midst of the nine-hour firefight between rebels and the military, Veneracion captured the moments when, at the peak of battle, the Marines struggled with mortar shells that failed to fire.
The incident was documented by GMA News’ seasoned cameramen, highlighting difficulties faced by the military frontliners made even harder by malfunctioning equipment. The story behind this eye-opening news coverage was told through a documentary produced by Reporter’s Notebook. Veneracion’s report went on to win the 2008 New York Festivals Bronze World Medal for Coverage of an On-going Story.
Reporter’s Notebook, hosted by Maki Pulido and Jun Veneracion, airs Thursdays, 11:35 p.m. after Saksi!