Local press remembers slain colleagues today

AS PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III delivers his third State of the Nation Address (Sona) today, Monday, members of various media organizations in Cagayan de Oro will also gather to commemorate the 32nd month of the Maguindanao massacre at the Provincial Capitol Ground’s Press Freedom Monument.

Once again, the journalists will be lighting 32 candles in honor of the 32 slain journalists and offer prayer as well.

The activity will be spearheaded by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) Cagayan de Oro chapter and supported by the Cagayan de Oro Press Club (COPC), Philippine National Police (PNP) Press Corps and other media organizations.

The journalists are one with the families of the victims in seeking justice as they called on the government to fast-track the investigation of the November 23, 2009 massacre that took the lives of 58 people.

Zambales Representative Mitos Magsaysay lamented that this slow paced justice system reflects badly on the country as it shows the government’s lack of sincerity and conviction in holding the culprits accountable for the massive loss of lives brought on by politics.

She said the government should have ordered the fast tracking of the Maguindanao massacre case even before the month of the Sona to show the administration’s commitment in bringing justice to the victims.

“The President has promised to punish perpetrators of extrajudicial killings in his Sona in 2010 and until now, the case is progressing in a snail’s pace in the courts,” Magsaysay added.

The lawmaker stressed that the government only focuses on these high profile cases in time of Sona but after this, these issues are swept and forgotten. (Annabelle L. Ricalde)