TAGUM CITY — A global media watchdog has ranked Philippines the third worst spot on the index since 2010 where journalists have been murdered without a single perpetrator being convicted.
In its “Getting Away With Murder: CPJ’s 2014 Global Impunity Index” report released Wednesday, the Committee to Protect Journalists said that 51 journalists in the country have been killed next to Somalia with 27 killed and one conviction and Iraq with 100 and no conviction.
The other countries listed were Afghanistan, Mexico, Colombia, Pakistan, Russia, Brazil, Nigeria and India.
Out of 13 countries, the Philippines got an Impunity Index Rating of 0.527 unsolved journalist murders per million inhabitants compared to last year’s rating of 0.580.
The index covers murders that took place in the years 2004-2013.
It was reported also that 62% of journalists killed in the Philippines were covering Politics beat followed by Corruption beat with 43%, Crime with 23%, Human Rights with 5%, Business with 3% and War with 1%.
These media killings are still unresolved cases, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, an independent, nonprofit organization based in United States of America that promotes press freedom worldwide.
Recently, a tabloid reporter based in Manila who was identified as Rubylita “Ruby” Garcia was shot at least four times inside her home. She died in a hospital in Bacoor City, Cavite province last April 6, 2014.
The local media watchdog, Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility said “if her death is work-related, Garcia will be the tenth woman journalist killed in the Philippines in the line of duty since the institutions of liberal democracy were restored in 1986 and 140th killed for her work since that year.”
The CMFR said also that 21 have been killed under the presidency of Benigno Aquino III, who was elected in 2010.
In Davao, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines- Davao City Chapter has also issued a strong-worded statement condemning the harrassments perpetrated by state security forces against media workers of a radio station in Tagum City for allegedly being “biased”—favoring the New People’s Army on their reports.
Jeffrey Tupas, NUJP Davao chapter secretary general, said “(B)ut such response brings a chilling effect to media workers. State security forces here in Davao have likewise labeled human rights defenders as “leftists” and “fronts of communist groups”, and these defenders have either ended up with cases and warrants of arrest filed against them, or worse faced bullets.”
The CPJ reported that “more than 50 journalist murders that took place from 2004 through 2013 remain unsolved, belying the claim made in November 2013 by the office of President Benigno Aquino III that ‘there is no more impunity” in the Philippines.'”
The report added: “The victims include 32 journalists massacred in Ampatuan Town, Maguindanao, in 2009 and freelance photographer Mario Sy, one of three journalists gunned down last year. Sy was shot in front of his wife and daughter following publication of a series of photos on drug trafficking.”
According to CPJ’s research, murders make up nearly 70 percent of work-related deaths among journalists. “This index does not include cases of journalists killed in combat or while carrying out dangerous assignments such as coverage of street protests.”
The CPJ report disclosed that 38% were killed either working as a columnist or commentator followed by print reporter/writer with 27%, broadcast reporter with 23%, editor with 9%, publisher/owner with 8%, photographer with 5%, and Internet reporter/writer/ camera operator shared both with 1%.
CPJ’s record shows that the year 2009 has the highest reported killings with 32 journalists who were murdered by perpetrators whose motives were confirmed to be work-related.
Meanwhile, in Tagum City, the Davao del Norte Press Club has renewed its call to end the attacks to the press freedom against media workers and eventually “end the culture of immunity” in the country.
Last December 11, 2013, Rogelio “Tata” Butalid, a radio broadcaster in Radyo Natin at Tagum City was shot dead in the morning by a lone gun man. The motives behind the killing was said to be “work-related” according to police authorities.
“Justice has been elusive to all the victims of these senseless killings. The government must show its sincerity to end the culture of impunity in the country. The case of our colleague in the media here in Tagum is but an added statistics to the growing number of unresolved cases. Justice must be served with no delay!,” the group told DavaoToday in a text message.
“Obviously, the government has failed to make any development to address impunity in media killings,” the group added. (davaotoday.com)
