RTDNA Condemns Police Search of KUAM-TV Studio in Guam

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RTDNA Condemns Police Search of KUAM-TV Studio in Guam

For Immediate Release: May 13, 2010
Contact: Ryan G. Murphy, ryanm@rtdna.org

WASHINGTON – The Radio Television Digital News Association condemns the Guam Police Department's search of a television station's newsroom to obtain documents associated with an investigative piece about a new police recruit.  

RTDNA believes the police department acted in disregard of the Privacy Protection Act of 1980, which forbids federal, state and local law enforcement officers from conducting searches and seizures of work product and documentary materials of reporters and broadcasters except in very limited circumstances.   

According to KUAM-TV, the NBC affiliate serving Guam, 12 agents from the Guam Police Departments' Criminal Investigation Division served a warrant at the KUAM studios, on Wednesday, asking the entire staff to leave the office and ordered them to turn off their cameras.

According to KUAM, an agent explained that the warrant was for an ongoing theft complaint being investigated, though the KUAM News team is concerned that the police action was an operation of intimidation prompted by a story the station ran on how a police trainee failed to pass a polygraph examination.

KUAM says the warrant was issued to determine how KUAM News received a document to support their story from a confidential source. The station is pursuing legal action, having filed suit against the Guam Police Department and the Government of Guam.

“When government attempts to intimidate journalists through actions like those of the Guam Police Department, the ability of the press to serve as the eyes, ears and voice of the public is compromised,” said RTDNA Chairman, Mark Kraham.  “We applaud KUAM for asserting its First and Fourth Amendment rights in the civil lawsuit it immediately filed against the police department and the Guam government.  We are confident that long-standing law and constitutional principles concerning freedom of the press will prevail. RTDNA firmly believes the search warrant should be quashed and the seized materials returned. With a motto of 'Where America's Day Begins,' we hope that American freedoms also shine brightly in Guam."

Guam Senator Judi Guthertz, a former chief of police, told KUAM: "The issue of obtaining a search warrant to inspect the office of a communications company, a media outlet on Guam, is a serious matter. As you know, we honor the freedom of the press in this country, our Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and the freedom of the press.  I think that if the chief is concerned about leaks of documents in the police department, I can tell you, that's something that I lived with when I was chief, director of public safety and acting chief of police.”

In 2006, KUAM won the RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Award for best small market Web site in Region 2 for kuam.com.

ABOUT RTDNA

RTDNA is the world's largest professional organization devoted exclusively to electronic journalism. RTDNA represents local and network news executives in broadcasting, cable and digital media in more than 20 countries.

Guam Police Department use Gestapo Tactics, Become Neocon Nazi's.

The Chief of Police, Paul Suba, may think he's in the right in ordering this investigation into a leak of his own department, and getting a search warrant for a local news organization, issued by Superior Court Judge Anita Sukola. 

He is in the wrong.  According to the KUAM news site, Federal Law, Privacy Act of 1980 protects News Organizations from identifying their sources or being investigated.  This is nothing more than Censorship.  A move more likely linked with the German Nazi's, Italian Marxists, Soviet Communists. 

Is this what has become of our territorial police department?  They're on some kind of egotistical power trip. 

I have friends in the police department, civilians and uniformed officers.  They are good people.  Unfortunately, this heavy handed move has put a black eye on the work of the good people in the department. 

If there is a leak in the police department.  Which is very apparent due to the news that KUAM broke, a couple of days ago.  Then Suba has to look into his department for that leak.  To involve the very news organization in his investigation breaks a federal law and cries of Communism.  It will be very interesting where these series of events will lead us on this island. 

Police Chief Paul Suba has no recourse now, but to resign.  He's egotistic control of the department must be levied.  His cowboy approach to a suspect car that ended up in the river, a couple of months ago, screams loud of his lack of respect for the territorial resident.  He's an out of control cowboy who wants to get hazardous pay.  He forgets, He is the Chief of Police, not a regular patrol officer. 

If we let this go, who is next in Chief Suba's Crosshairs?  The PDN, Pacific News Center, or will it be Uncle Kin and Auntie Mary's car, ending up in a river. 



I'm sorry but the Libertarian came out of me as I read up more on this incident. 



Related Links.

GPD's motives: investigation or intimidation?

KUAM files civil suit against GPD, GovGuam

GPD Executes Search Warrant at KUAM In Alleged Theft Investigation

KUAM Releases Statement on Search of Their Newsroom

A media round table discussion on the Patti Arroyo Show

Attorney Arthur Clark on the Big Show with Travis Coffman

Legislation nixes need for special elections

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by Nick Delgado

Guam - There may no longer be special elections if a measure introduced by Vice-Speaker B.J. Cruz is signed into law. Bill 395 states that in the event a vacancy occurs in the Guam Legislature for any reason, the vacancy shall be filled by appointment of the governor.

The measure also states that the party's executive committee shall select three members who qualify for legislative office, and their names will then be submitted to the governor within 15 days after the vacancy is announced.

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Although the intent of the bill is good.  I have to disagree with it.  There is already a process in place, where the people have voted in the previous General election for the legislative seats.  Should there be a vacancy for any reason.  The legislative candidate with the 16th highest vote during the General Election, will fill the vacant seat of the people. 

There is no need to play politics with any vacant legislative seat by giving the governor the appointment power.  When the people have already decided. 

Guamanians Against the Military Buildup outside the Fence Line.

I attended the 3rd public hearing on the Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) regarding the military buildup at the Yigo Gymnasium last night.  The final meeting is tonight at Okkodo High School. 

A lot of residents from Yigo were in attendance.  I was the first speaker to give a comment but yielded to Auntie Gloria Nelson.  So she may give her speech.  Our concern is not the Military Buildup as a whole.  But the military wanting more lands for their use.  Yet they already own 1/3 of the island. 

The U.S. Marines want to build a firing range right next to the Nelson Family Compound and take the only Race Track we have on island.  But they have so much unused military land that they can use but choose not to. 

There were many young adults, veterans, military retirees, landowners who stood up and spoke out against the land grab.  Many have stated that they are not anti-America, anti-military, or anti-patriotic, They're just anti-buildup outside of the fence line.  The military should buildup inside their fences and leave the locals alone. 

There were over 66 people who signed up to make comments on the DEIS.  Some speakers like myself gave up our times so others may present their comments before the people and the military/contract presenters in attendance. 

On the other side of the coin, there are some locals who support the buildup.  This group are looking towards the infusion of Billions of U.S. dollars into the island.  Also, the jobs that will come with the buildup. 

What those people don't know,  until they actually read the DEIS, is that the numbers being given to the local media are not the true numbers presented in the DEIS.  Many of us have heard 2000 U.S. Marines at the initial planning of the buildup.  That number has changed to 8,000 U.S. Marines and 9,000 of their dependents.

What the majority of the people of Guam don't know, is that there will be over 80,000 military personnel, dependents, contractors, and H2 workers coming to this small island in the next couple of years. 

The DEIS public hearings are nothing more than a dog and pony show for the military buildup on the island.  It's all marketing to make them look really good.  It took them 5 years to write the DEIS and we have 90 days to review and 4 days to make our comments with only a 3 minute time limit.  Isn't that a slap in the face to the Guamanian People? 

Each public hearing, the protesters have gotten bigger and louder.  As a veteran, I felt bad for the U.S.. Marines in attendance, wearing their uniforms.  I don't have any animosity towards them.  I do hate the decisions that are being made thousands of miles away to grab these lands. 

Many of the comments were justified, although most will never make it into the final EIS.  Since the comments didn't deal specifically with the DEIS.  However the venue was setup for the people to speak out.  I admired those who spoke out passionately against the buildup.  I was surprised to see so many young adults standing up to be heard.  Only two senators from the legislature stood to speak out against the buildup; Senators Ben Pangelinan and B.J. Cruz.  Speaker Judith Won-Pat was there to show support against the buildup.  Actually, the spoke out against the buildup outside of military property.  They should stay inside their bases. 

While I was there mingling around with the crowd before the hearing began.  I talked to some of the Chelu's hanging around behind the gym.  Many expressed it's time for the Marianas Islands to reunite.  To much time as passed that our islands are still separated politically.  We are one people on one archipelago chain.  I listened as they explained their views to me in regards to that dream.  I, too, would like to see that happen within my lifetime, The Reunification of the Chamorro Islands. 

At the moment, we have to fight one battle at a time, right now. 

Keep Smiling

33 Guam Public Schools Closed Due to Stupidity.

They say at the Department of Education (DOE) that 33 public schools are closed today because of a flawed contract from a food vendor.  Who is supposed to provide lunch meals to the school children.  Now, there are thousand of students home and parents taking off from work to supervise their children. 

The food vendor, King's Restaurant's contract ended in May.  It's now August.  What happened with the procurement process between June and now?  The Attorney General's Office did not approve the contract due to flaws.  So why did not DOE just extend the current contract for another month? 

We have STUPID Politicians and administrators on Guam.  Now the finger pointing is going around this morning on talk radio.  It's also the fault of the people for voting these idiots into office.  There is no accountability on this island.  This bottle fed entitlement is a thorn on the island.  We need to go back to the old days where people were responsible for their lives and not dependent on the government of Guam or the federal government.