Filipino journalists, Spanish priest hold rally, protest order clearing 2 in Maguindanao massacre

Members of the Zamboanga Press Club and National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and Peace Advocates Zamboanga headed by Spanish priest Angel Calvo hold a rally in Zamboanga City in Mindanao Island on Monday, April 19, 2010 protesting the decision of Justice Secretary Alberto Agra dropping all murder charges against jailed governor Zaldy Ampatuan, of the five-province Muslim autonomous region; and his uncle Akmad Ampatuan, the deputy governor of Maguindanao province, in connection to the brutal slayings of 57 people on November 23, 2009. The two are among over a hundred people, including the clan’s patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr, accused in the massacre in Maguindanao. The Ampatuans are strong political allies of President Gloria Arroyo, who was also accused of poll fraud and cheating in the 2007 elections. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / April 19, 2010) – Local journalists and peace advocates held a rally on Monday in Zamboanga City to protest Manila’s decision to drop all murder charges against the scion of a powerful political clan accused of brutally killing at least 57 people last year in Mindanao.

Members of the Zamboanga Press and National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and Peace Advocates Zamboanga headed by Spanish priest Angel Calvo lighted black candles and read a statement condemning the decision of Justice Secretary Alberto Agra in dropping all murder charges against jailed governor Zaldy Ampatuan, of the five-province Muslim autonomous region; and his uncle Akmad Ampatuan, the deputy governor of Maguindanao province, in connection to the brutal slayings of 57 people on November 23, 2009.

The suspended governor said he was in Manila with President Gloria Arroyo when the massacre occurred. The two are among over a hundred people, including the clan’s patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr, accused in the massacre in Maguindanao. The Ampatuans are strong political allies of Arroyo, who was also accused of poll fraud and cheating in the 2007 elections.

Agra served as Arroyo’s lawyer during impeachment proceedings at the House of Representatives in 2006. He was one of Arroyo’s lawyers who represented the President in election-related issues in 2004. Arroyo also appointed Agra in 2007 as chief of the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel and this year as Justice Secretary.

In his decision, Agra said there was no evidence to link the two Ampatuan to the murder charges.

The Department of Justice earlier junked rebellion charges in connection with the Maguindanao massacre against the Ampatuans, who were on Friday had been flown to Manila and transferred to a tightly guarded prison in Taguig City where Andal Jr is locked up.

The young Ampatuan is accused of leading the killings of 57 people, including at least 32 journalists, who accompanied a political caravan of a rival clan, the Mangudadatus.

The caravan was traveling when it was stopped by gunmen in Shariff Aguak town and killed and buried its passengers in two mass graves in nearby town of Ampatuan. Among those killed were the wife and sister of Esmael Mangudadatu who is running for governor in next month’s polls.

Andal Jr denied all the charges against them and blamed Moro rebels for the massacre, an allegation strongly rejected by authorities.

“We, officers and members of the Zamboanga-Basilan-Sulu-Tawi-Tawi Chapter of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, strongly condemn and oppose this inane and unjust decision and order of the Justice Department. By readily swallowing the stinking alibis of the Ampatuans, the Department of Justice has made itself virtually a co-conspirator too of the Maguindanao Massacre, which is the worst human rights crime in the history of the nation and the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,” the NUJP said in a statement.

”A clear pattern to whitewash, as have feared from the start, the charges against the Ampatuans has emerged with the earlier dropping of rebellion charges against the suspects, and now this latest decision. As the whole world and nation know, the Ampatuans are the friends and lackeys of President Arroyo, who herself has been criticized frequently for having no respect for the rule of law. Hence, under this Government and its Administration officials, there is no justice for the Filipinos, particularly for the 57 victims of the Maguindanao Massacre and their families,” it added.

Journalists, who wore black shirts during the rally, also called on Agra to resign.

”We ask the Filipino people to rouse themselves from this oppressive condition and join the NUJP in nonetheless demanding justice for the Maguindanao victims, lest we will be the next victims too – as many have been without redress yet - of this system and culture of impunity and terrorism against innocent citizens or perceived enemies. We ask Acting Secretary Agra to rescind his scandalous order that brazenly co-opts the court and prematurely acquits the two Ampatuans. Save the good, but already badly tattered, name of the Department of Justice, or damn the rule of law and democracy in this land,” the media watchdog said.

Mangudadatu on Sunday said he would pursue the cases against the Ampatuan clan and said he has a witness who linked the jailed regional governor to the murders. “We have a witness that linked Zaldy Ampatuan to the killings. The witness was a former follower of the Ampatuan,” he said.

He said they would appeal Agra’s decision in court. “I cannot say what would come out from this until Agra is there. Agra is the lawyer of the Ampatuans in their election cases so we cannot give any direct statement or tell what would be the outcome of the cases,” Mangudadatu said.

Lawyer Harry Roque who represents the victims of the massacre said they would oppose Agra’s order clearing the two Ampatuans of all criminal charges against them. (Mindanao Examiner)

Filipino journalists light candles in memory of slain colleagues

Members of the Zamboanga Cityy Press club and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines light candles late Wednesday, December 9, 2009 in the memory of 30 journalists who were among 57 people brutally killed last month in Maguindanao province. Journalists on Wednesday also visited the mass graves where the masaacre victims were discovered on November 23. Police say at least 161 gunmen led by the scion of a powerful political warlord, Andal Ampatuan Jnr, the mayor of Datu Unsay town in Maguindanao province, led the attack. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / December 9, 2009) – Dozens of journalists on Wednesday lit candles in the memory of 30 colleagues who were among 57 brutally killed last month in the southern Maguindanao province.

Members of the Zamboanga City Press Club and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines also held a prayer and read a statement demanding justice for all those murdered November 23 in the town of Ampatuan.

“We must not rest until each and every criminal charged and meted the punishment due them – for it’s only thru this that we can at least say that justice has been served. Our campaign for the pursuit of justice must be relentless and focused. Let us not leave any stone unturned until all these have been brought to light,” the statement said.

The two media organizations said 106 journalists have been murdered in the Philippines since President Gloria Arroyo took power in 2001. They said the Philippines has been regarded as the most dangerous country in the world for journalists.

“The death of our colleagues is rooted by the failure of the government to put a stop to the culture of impunity in our society. As we join the global campaign against impunity, we are urging not only the government, but the public as a whole, not to let the Ampatuan massacre be passed without giving justice to our colleagues,” the statement further reads.

A group of journalists also visited Wednesday the mass graves in Ampatuan town and offered prayers and candles for the souls of those slain in the attack allegedly led by the scion of a powerful political warlord, Andal Ampatuan Jnr, who is the mayor of Datu Unsay town.

The victims were on a convoy when more than 160 gunmen held them in the Ampatuan stronghold of Shariff Aguak town and herded all of the victims to Ampatuan town where they were shot in the face and body and buried in three mass graves, along with three of their vehicles.

The journalists were accompanying the wife and sisters, and supporters of Buluan town vice mayor Esmael Mangudadatu who is running for governor of Maguindanao, which is currently being held by Ampatuan’s father and namesake, who is also the governor of the province.

Both father and son, along with Zaldy Ampatuan, the governor of the Muslim autonomous region, and several clan members were arrested in connection to the mass murders. They denied involvements in the killings. (Mindanao Examiner)

Zamboanga Journalists Remember Murdered Colleagues In Maguindanao

Filipino journalists light candles Saturday, November 28, 2009 after a Catholic mass led by Archbishop Romulo Valles in Zamboanga City for the souls of 57 people, among them at least 29 journalists massacred in the town of Ampatuan in Maguindanao province in the southern Philippines. Six more journalists are still unaccounted. A town mayor Andal Ampatuan Jnr, scion of the powerful Ampatuan clan, is accused of masterminding the killings which police say is election-related. The politician denies all accusations against him and blames the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels for the November 23 massacre, an allegation flatly rejected by authorities. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / November 28, 2009) – A group of Filipino Journalists offered a Catholic mass on Saturday in Zamboanga City to remember the 57 people, including more than two dozen colleagues, brutally killed in Maguindanao province in the Muslim autonomous region in the southern Philippines.

The mass, led by Archbishop Romulo Valles, was held at the open-air Catholic shrine called Fort Pilar and also attended by about 200 people. "This mass is offered for those who were killed in Maguindanao," the Reverend Valles said, as he called on media workers to stay vigilant.

Members of the Zamboanga Press Club and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines ended the mass with the lighting of candles that symbolized each of those massacred on November 23 in the town of Ampatuan.

Reporters Without Borders, quoting media reports, said 29 journalists were among those murdered. Six more journalists are still unaccounted for.

A town mayor Andal Ampatuan Jnr, scion of the powerful Ampatuan clan, is accused of masterminding the killings which police said was election-related. The politician, who is said to be running for governor in Maguindanao in next year’s polls, denied all accusations against him and blamed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels for the massacre, an allegation flatly rejected by authorities.

His father, Andal Ampatuan Snr, is the current governor of Maguindanao while his elder brother, Zaldy Ampatuan, is the governor of the Muslim autonomous region to which the province belongs.

The United Nations urged the Philippine government to fully investigate the brutal slaying of 57 people. “This monstrous crime must not go unpunished,” said Irina Bokova, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Bokova urged the Arroyo government to carry out a full and swift investigation into the murderous attack.

The UNESCO is the only United Nations agency with a mandate to defend freedom of expression and press freedom.

“I condemn this outrage and urge the Government of the Philippines to act swiftly, using all the resources at its disposal to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“The barbaric killings of the people in the convoy – journalists and citizens alike – were clearly an attack against democracy and democratic processes. Furthermore, the killing of journalists violates the rights of the Philippine people to be freely and fairly informed of political developments,” she added.

The journalists were traveling in a convoy with the wife and relatives and supporters of Buluan town vice mayor Esmael Mangudadatu in Maguindanao’s Shariff Aguak town when they were held by more than 100 gunmen from a rival faction and herded to a remote hillside where they were executed. (Mindanao Examiner)

Journalists Pay Tribute To Fallen Colleagues In Philippines

Journalists pray for murdered members of the Philippine media in front of the radio station dxRZ of the Radio Mindanao Network on Wednesday, August 20, 2008 in Zamboanga City. Two RMN broadcasters, Dennis Cuesta and Martin Roxas, were killed in separate attacks last week in the Philippines; bringing to 97 the number of journalists killed in line of duty since President Gloria Arroyo assumed power in 2001. The Philippines is one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists. Many Filipino journalists are also being harassed, coerced and intimidated because of the news they report. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 21, 2008) - Dozens of journalists held prayers and paid tribute to two slain colleagues in the southern Philippines.

Two broadcasters of the Radio Mindanao Network, Dennis Cuesta and Martin Roxas, were killed in August in separate attacks in the Philippines, bringing to 97 the number of journalists killed in line of duty since President Gloria Arroyo assumed to power in 2001.

The Philippines is one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists. Many Filipino journalists are also being harassed, coerced and intimidated because of the news they report.

Reporters here on Wednesday held a prayer in front of the radio station dxRZ, owned by Radio Mindanao Network, to honor murdered journalists. They later proceeded to the church where a mass was held for Cuesta and Roxas and others killed in recent years.

It was the first in the history of media in Zamboanga City that journalists from different media outfits gathered together to seek justice for the killings.

Five journalists - Gloria Martin, Rey Bancairin, Greg Hapalla, Jade Ladja and Candelario Cayona Jr. - had been mercilessly killed in Zamboanga City over the past years and all their cases remain unsolved. Their killers were believed to be hired assassins.

“All these cases are in the archives of the court and hardly a resolution and if there’s any, not a single mastermind to the crimes is prosecuted or jailed,” the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said in a statement.

“Speaking, uncovering and writing about the truth in the face of power is also dangerous as we have countless reports of harassment, intimidation, persecution and threats,” it said.

“Speaking, uncovering and writing about the truth in the face of power is also dangerous as we have countless reports of harassment, intimidation, persecution and threats,” it said.

In the past, the local RMN station nearly closed after it aired reports about the operation and existence of the Abu Sayyaf group.

“The quest for justice is not going to end here today. As we continue performing our chosen profession, the struggle will go on and we must continue advocating press freedom,” the journalists said in the statement.

International media organizations and human rights groups have condemned the killings of the journalists and harassment of media workers in the Philippines.

The International Federation of Journalists also pledged its solidarity to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, an IFJ affiliate, and all journalists in the Philippines as they mark a National Day of Mourning for Media in recognition of fallen colleagues.

Alongside the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists and Radio Mindanao Network and other media organizations, NUJP representatives wore black in a nationally coordinated action across the country.

Aside from Zamboanga, short ceremonies paying tribute to killed journalists were held also in metropolitan Manila as well as Baguio, Olongapo, Pampanga, Sorsogon, Iloilo, Capiz, Davao, Quezon, Bukidnon, Kidapawan, Ozamiz, General Santos and Sulu.

The murders of two Radio Mindanao Network journalists contributed to a newly somber outlook for the safety and protection of the media in the Philippines, following a period of optimism when violence against the media appeared to decrease and the Philippines courts began to take action to investigate the killings of journalists.

Five journalists in the Philippines have lost their lives in the course of their work since the beginning of 2008.

"Journalists and journalists' leaders in the Philippines have shown great courage and determination in fighting for press freedom despite the danger and hostility they confront in the course of doing their jobs," IFJ Asia-Pacific said.

"The IFJ stands with our colleagues in the Philippines in sending a message to all perpetrators of violence against Filipino media workers that we will maintain our commitment as guardians of the public interest and the independent voice of the people."

In mourning all journalists killed while conducting their work, the IFJ is also saddened to learn of the shooting death of Ronaldo Julia, a former journalist for DZGE radio and the Weekly Informer, in Camarines Sur province on August 16, whose murder is reportedly unrelated to his media work.

"The IFJ extends its deep sympathy to the family, friends and colleagues of all journalists killed in the Philippines," it said in a statement. (Mindanao Examiner)

Photo: Journalists Pay Honor, Tribute To Fallen Colleagues In Philippines

Journalists pray for murdered members of the Philippine media in front of the radio station dxRZ of the Radio Mindanao Network on Wednesday, August 20, 2008 in Zamboanga City. Two RMN broadcasters, Dennis Cuesta and Martin Roxas, were killed in separate attacks last week in the Philippines; bringing to 97 the number of journalists killed in line of duty since President Gloria Arroyo assumed power in 2001. The Philippines is one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists. Many Filipino journalists are also being harassed, coerced and intimidated because of the news they report. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)