The dangers faced by journalist in the Philippines are becoming ever more evident with yet another reporter murdered. Nestor Bedolido, a newspaper reporter was shot dead on Saturday, June 19, adding to the recent spate of attacks on journalists.
Two radio station workers, Desadario Camangyan and Jovelito Agustin, were also killed within a day of each, less than a week after Mr. Bedolido’s death. They were both known for being outspoken about issues relating to local politics in the Philippines. Several testimonies from witnesses led to charges being filed against several persons.
On June 15 Mr. Agustin was shot dead on his way home in the northern province of Ilocos Norte; charges have been filed against Pacifico Valasco, the vice-mayor of a town in the province, and his bodyguard who is believed to have been the gunman.
Mr. Camangyan was shot dead on June 14 while hosting a singing contest; some of his family were in the audience. A police officer and village head have been charged.
The Philippine Star reported that the police officer in charge of the Camangyan case had said that the murder had “something to do with politics, and illegal logging, which had been the subject of Camangyan’s criticism.”
Corruption issues
Deborah Muir from the International Federation for Journalists (IFJ) told Australia’s national broadcaster ABC Radio that; “it is true that many of the media personnel who have been murdered are well known to have spoken out on or to have investigated corruption issues.”
The Philippines have the third worst record for bringing killers of journalists to justice.
“The record for justice is appalling in the Philippines. In the more than 100 cases of killings of media workers in the Philippines since 1986, our records show that only four prosecutions have been achieved. It is just mind boggling,” said Ms. Muir.
The Philippines is well known for impunity when it comes to the murderers of journalists, and this is a situation that needs to change, said Ms. Muir.
“We have to only look to the massacre in Maguindanao in the southern Philippines in November last year. Thirty-two journalists and media workers were killed in a massacre of 57 people.
“Now in that case there are 197 accused. Many have been charged but many more are not charged. They are still at large. Now there is a nexus between Arroyo’s administration and the Patawan family that is accused of masterminding the massacre. Still no action is being taken,” she said.
“The court case was suspended in mid-February but there are now motions from the defence questioning the prosecution and there are ongoing concerns about procedures and conducting these cases.”
More than 100 journalists have now been killed during President Gloria Arroyo’s time in office. Ms. Muir believes it is critical to break the culture of impunity in the Philippines, and that the recent murders and charges filed need to be followed through.
Ms. Muir and the IFJ visited the Philippines recently, specifically the site of the massacre, and spoke with local media personnel about the situation following the elections.
“There was some speculation at the time that paybacks are underway during the transition between the administrations of Arroyo and Aquino,” Ms. Muir said.
“Now we have concerns that the audacity of the massacre last year and the failure of the Arroyo administration to act quickly has emboldened anti-media forces, not just in Maguindanao,” she said, adding that one of the recent murders was in the far north of the country.
“These anti-media forces are local warlords and power holders,” Ms. Muir explained. “So local media personnel are quite concerned about the, now, overt hostility that is being shown towards them since last year’s massacre.”
