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Sunday, February 06, 2005
Duterte calls int'l journalists' group execs 'idiots'
By Ben O. Tesiorna
DAVAO CITY -- Mayor Rodrigo Duterte lambasted representatives of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and called them idiots.
The IFJ along with the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) came out with a report citing "two mayors from the south who are openly supporting the use of death squads in dealing with unruly elements in their town."
The IFJ blamed the government's tolerance to this kind of activity as one of the reasons for a widespread culture of violence, which in turn is blamed for the series of attacks against journalists here in the country.
Duterte advised the IFJ not to meddle with the city's internal affairs saying these foreigners have not contributed anything for the welfare of the Dabawenyos.
The mayor then challenged the IFJ representatives to personally visit Davao City to see for themselves the so-called culture of violence existing in the city.
"Let them come to Davao and maybe they will become part of it. Wala silang binigay ni piso sa Pilipinas kaya sabihin mo dyan sa international gathering of idiots na yan na huwag silang makialam dito," Duterte said.
NUJP chairman Inday Espina Varona in reaction to Duterte's statement said they respect the mayor's sentiments saying, "this is a free country".
She however, clarified that they never accused Duterte of anything.
The international fact-finding mission organized by the IFJ and the NUJP found that a widespread culture of violence is tolerated and even condoned by Philippine government officials.
The other mayor being referred to by the report is Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
They blamed this violent culture and the open support of some public officials on the proliferation of death squads for the increasing attack against journalists here in the country.
In a statement, IFJ representative from Australia Gerard Noonan said the mission discovered instances of senior government officials, including "mayors in two major cities in the south of the country, who openly supported the use of death squads in dealing with unruly elements in their towns".
"When such a culture is allowed to flourish at an official level, it is little wonder that aggrieved local strongmen or political figures turn to hitmen to get even with the media," Noonan said.
The mission, which included representatives from Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines, last week visited the cities of General Santos in Mindanao, Iloilo and Cebu in the Visayas and Legazpi in the Bicol region.
It was funded by the IFJ after the international journalist organization reported in its annual review of journalist safety this month that the Philippines had a record of deaths of journalists second only to Iraq in 2004.
The NUJP had recorded the deaths of 13 Philippine journalists in 2004.
Since 1986, more than 50 journalists were violently killed. In the almost two decades, there has been only one conviction for the murder of a journalist.
The NUJP is documenting each of these cases and is seeking to pressure the Philippine government to reopen a number of the cases.
Noonan said the mission will prepare a detailed report on its findings and recommendations which will be presented to the IFJ secretariat in Brussels next month.
"This is a record the Philippines definitely doesn't want," Noonan said.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here.
(February 6, 2005 issue)
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