DAVAO City — The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP ) said it does not gloss over the fact that corruption is among the most pressing problems faced by the media and that this could be a reason for a number of media killings but “it is one thing to recognize a possible reason for murder; it is a totally different thing to present this as a justification for taking life.”
The NUJP issued the statement in reaction to President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s statement in a press conference Tuesday night that most of the journalists who were killed were corrupt.
“Just because you’re a journalist, you’re not exempted from assassination if you’re a son of a bitch,” Duterte told reporters at the “Malacañang of the South” in response to a query on his policy on media killings.
The NUJP has listed 176 journalists killed since democracy was restored in the country in 1986.
Duterte said freedom of expression and the Constitution itself will not shield journalists from being the subject of killing if they took advantage of their profession to commit a wrong against another.
“Your freedom of expression cannot help you if you’ve done something wrong to the guy… the Constitution can no longer help you pag binaboy mo ang isang tao,” he said.
Addressing Duterte, the NUJP statement issued by its chair, Ryan Rosauro, said “what leaders say, right or wrong, seriously or in jest, will resound with their followers. Thus, even if this be in jest, and we see no reason to believe this was the case, your words may well be interpreted as marching order by those with an axe to grind against a critical press.”
Cusp of a new era
The NUJP said it was hopeful, following pronouncements the President-elect would push for the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) law and the recent announcement of his spokes person, Petero Lavina, that he would constitute a special task force to investigate media killings, “that we were on the cusp of a new era when freedom of the press and of expression would be respected, defended and promoted beyond lip service.”
“Alas, it seems we were wrong. Or are we to be again treated to the excuse that it was all a joke and we need to be more discerning about your pronouncements?”
“Murder is no joke. Neither is press freedom,” it added.
Perpetuating Impunity
Lawyer Romel Bagares, Executive Director of the Center for International Law, Inc. said Duterte’s statement “implying that corrupt journalists who are killed were asking for it, and therefore deserved to die, only serves to justify and perpetuate impunity.”
“In a country that has become one of the most dangerous places on earth for journalists, it will only serve to embolden, rather than deter, those who kill without compunction,” Bagares said.
In a statement, the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) said it is “alarmed” by Duterte’s “sweeping pronouncement which could embolden attacks on the working press.”
“While saying that most of the media killings were motivated by corruption involving the victims, the president-elect did not provide evidence that can be used to bring the perpetrators to justice nor condemn the killings to discourage future attacks,” the FOCAP said. (mindanews)
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