MANILA — Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered today government troops to work on neutralizing the Abu Sayyaf Group terrorists as she condemned the beheading of the group?s seven captives in Sulu this week.
In a statement, the President said the “Abu Sayyaf?s acts of terror will not go unpunished” and that the government would deal with it as an internal security matter.
New York ?The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the Philippine government to ensure prompt and thorough investigations into two separate shootings this week, one of which took the life of radio reporter Carmelo Palacios. Police have assigned the cases to a special task force that investigates attacks on journalists.
Reporters Without Borders voiced outrage today at the murder of public radio reporter Carmelo Palacios in the northern province of Nueva Ecija on 17 April and a shooting attack south of Manilla today on Philippine Daily Inquirer correspondent Delfin Mallari and radio DZMM reporter Johnny Glorioso, in which Mallari was injured. Police said Palacios’ murder was probably linked to his work as a journalist.
Press Statement
18 April 2007
The Antonio Zumel Center for Press Freedom (AZCPF) strongly condemns the recent attacks on media people and journalists. The assassins want to prevent the media from bringing to the public the true state of the nation and the criminal activities being committed by those in power.
The International Federation of Journalist (IFJ) today is delivering an appeal backed by nearly two hundred European parliamentarians from across the political spectrum for the immediate release of BBC journalist Alan Johnston.
The appeal, signed by 197 members of the European Parliament, is to be presented later today to the leaders of the Palestinian Authority including the offices of President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and the Palestinian Legislative Council.