Although they welcomed the surrender of a former governor tagged in the killing of a local radio broadcaster, the National Union of Journalist in the Philippines Davao urged the public and the media to be “vigilant and cautious for a possible whitewash.”
At the time of his death, Butalid was the second broadcast journalist to be killed in Tagum City since 1996.
A media watchdog said it is not expecting a mention of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill during President Benigno Aquino’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) next week on July 28.
Journalists welcomed the apology from Davao City police director Vicente Danao for his tirade on three reporters, but they said the city police must do away with its rough treatment on members of the press.
Two Tagum City reporters and their news director were reportedly harassed by police intelligence officers and a military spokesperson respectively, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said.