Eight years after the gruesome murder of 58 people on Nov. 23, 2009 in barangay Salman in the town of Ampatuan in Maguindanao, relatives, friends and supporters of the massacre victims are appealing to President Duterte for justice, to help facilitate the resolution of the cases against the perpetrators.
The Maguindanao Massacre is considered the worst case of election-related violence in the Philippines.
In 2009, then-Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu had challenged Andal Ampatuan Jr., a member of the powerful Ampatuan clan, for the position of governor in the 2010 gubernatorial elections. Mangudadatu’s family, supporters, and 32 members of the media were on their way to the provincial capitol to file his certificate of candidacy when the convoy was attacked in a grossly heinous and gruesome manner.
The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists dubbed the killings as the single most deadly assault on journalists in the world. The CPJ included the Philippines among the list of the most dangerous places for journalists.
Why are journalists, the Fourth Estate, possible targets for summary executions?
History records show that in 17th century France, the fourth estate referred to the working classes. The three other estates were the nobility, the clergy, and the bourgeoisie. Later in 1828 in England, a member of the House of Commons (the elected house of the British Parliament) referred to the Reporters’ Gallery as “Yonder sits the Fourth Estate, more important than them all.”
This was because the press came to signify the ultimate form of freedom. In times of authoritarianism, when freedom is suppressed, the first victim is the press/media, when in most instances, the press/media has lived up to its task of first, reporting the news; second, commenting on national events.
Our 1987 Constitution guarantees press freedom in Section 4 Article III of the Bill of Rights that states, “No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, the press, or the right of the people peacefully to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.”
At times, the worse instance of abuse in the exercise of the freedom of the press is what is known today as “envelopmental journalism”. There are two forms: the media personality who praises a public official because he is paid under-the-table to do so; and the mediaman who attacks or exposes an official if he is not paid or is paid by another sponsor to do so.
Thus, there is a call to improve the practice of professional journalism to thresh out the problem and delineate the genuine legitimate journalist from any writer with a huge ‘following’ on the pretext of doing journalism work.
Last month, Duterte signed an administrative order creating the Presidential Task Force on the Violation of the Right to Life, Liberty and Security of Members of the Media.
The Task Force is intended to provide security to those under threat, and to monitor cases of killed journalists to address the prevailing impunity with which those cases have been met.
It remains to be seen if these measures effectively address such pressing issues.
Be that as it may, the call of the hour remains: Please do not kill the messenger.
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Author’s email: [email protected]
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