What is one thing that has become a natural instinct for us nowadays?

Making sure we do not leave home without  our  cellphone.

There was a time when all we were concerned about was not missing an important call when our cellphones rang.  Today, with technology constantly upgraded, we have  cellphones that can take pictures, shoot video and upload our shots to the internet seconds after we have pressed the stop button on our phones.

No need to bring film to be processed, no need to ask someone to air our story.  We have become citizen-journalists with the freedom to choose what story to tell, when and from where we find something with an interesting story to tell.

Big, bulky cameras and the long tedious process of crafting a story has now been reduced making it accessible to anyone who has a keen eye, a genuine interest in news as it happens where you are and most importantly I think, a commitment to seek the truth, verify and be fair to all concerned.

With the elections just days away, we are faced with the challenge of observing and recording a first in our country and in Asia.  The automated election process needs to be watched carefully.  This is the first time since 1907 that the “mano-mano” way of counting our vote will be replaced by machines that will do the count for us.

Let’s be active participants. Make a difference by participating. Be a citizen-journalist.

— Cheche

(you can upload your videos about the campaign, elections or just about anything that affects you on probetv.com, click here.)

He was not born with a silver spoon, but Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay has
been king of the Philippines’ financial district and home of some of the
country’s richest families for more than two decades. (more…)

In 2001, Cheche Lazaro and her team trooped to Mindanao to cover the election hotspots of Southern Philippines.

They made their way into the heart of Maguindanao to cover a campaign rally of Datu Andal Ampatuan. The convoy of Datu Andal Ampatuan, ahead of them by a few minutes, was allegedly ambushed. Three people died. There was an unconfirmed number of victims. When Lazaro rushed to the hospital where the victims were taken, she discovered that some were children.

This is a series of images from the 2001 report entitled, Bala’t Balota.