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Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Echaves: Still ticking
By Lelani P. Echaves
Worth listening to today is the panel discussion after the documentary film showing of “Killing Journalists: The Cebu Experience.” Part of the activities of the week-long 12th annual celebration of Cebu Press Freedom Week, today’s morning program is an answer to a long-felt need for more specific information about the local scene. We need a report that’s as granular as can be.
What’s public knowledge is that Filipino journalists who died in the line of duty or were assassinated because of work-related pursuits, were similar to their counterparts all over the world. They were covering assignments related to government corruption, drug trafficking, crime or activities of rebel groups.
They did not die in the crossfire between two warring elements; rather, they were hunted down and wasted in retaliation for their work.
What’s shocking is that the Philippines was listed in 2005 by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) as the “most murderous country” for journalists, with such countries as Iraq, Colombia, Bangladesh and Russia. Fortunately, at year’s end of 2005, Iraq overtook the Philippines and so, our country slid down to second place. Nearly half of the journalists killed in Iraq since 2003 were targeted by insurgent groups who singled out editors, writers and photojournalists believed to be working with Western news organizations.
The Philippines was listed because of 18 deaths recorded since 2000. Before the ink could even dry up on the printer’s page, there were three more deaths — Robert Ramos of Katapat, Ricardo “Ding” Uy of dzRS-AM, and George Benaojan of Bantay Radyo — by the end of last year, thus bringing the total to 21. Other media groups, however, list 32 victims, all assassinated. Why the disparity in figures? Presumably, because the authorities weren’t sure about the motive for the killings.
As if this uncertainty was not disturbing enough, the Philippine government and media organizations also differed in their definitions. The CPJ found misleading the government’s claim that half of the murders since 1986 “had been solved.” Apparently, the government considers the case “solved” after identifying the suspect. On the contrary, the International Federation of Journalists reports that of the cases prosecuted since 1986, only one was successful.
Moreover, the government labeled the CPJ report as “misplaced and misleading,” and appeared to drag its feet despite the escalating casualties among journalists. Together with CPJ, various media associations — the Reporters Without Borders, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines, the Overseas Press Club and the World Association of Newspapers — started mounting pressure on President Arroyo. Their letters of concern urged her government “to make stronger efforts to bring the killers to justice and end this nightmare for members of our profession.” Copies were furnished to Secretary General Kofi Anan of the United Nations, and Director General Koichiro Matsuura of UNESCO.
Whether from that urging or not, GMA launched in 2004 the PNP Task Force Newsmen to track down journalists’ killers, set up the Press Freedom Fund of P5 Million to offer rewards for information on the killings, and put up witness protection programs. Her message: “The whole criminal justice system has been alerted and put in motion.”
Familiar with government failures, a group of reporters did what a group of judges some years later did — call for arming themselves for their own security. This call from Armed (Association of Responsible Media), however, did not resonate with the National Union of Journalists, and so fizzled out.
Still, the World Association of Newspapers’ clock is ticking. To date, it records 71 deaths worldwide, a 22 percent increase over last year’s 58.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (September 19, 2006 issue)
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