Climate of impunity
Climate of impunity
Updated 11:57pm (Mla time) Nov 22, 2004
Inquirer News Service
Editor's Note: Published on page A12 of the November 23, 2004 issue of Philippine Daily Inquirer.
THE KILLING of journalists is continuing unabated and the death toll has reached an alarming level. In just four days, from Nov. 12 to 15, two journalists were killed. The recent deaths raise the toll to 59 in the last 18 years since democracy was restored in 1986, or an average of three a year. Compare that with the 32 journalists slain in 14 years of Ferdinand Marcos' martial law rule, and tell us if that's not alarming.
The latest victims were Gene Boyd Lumawag, a photographer of MindaNews, who was slain in Jolo, Sulu, on Nov. 12; and Herson Hinolan, station manager of Radyo Bombo in Kalibo, Aklan, who was killed on Nov. 15.
The killings continue unabated because the climate of impunity has not been shattered. A journalist is killed, but after the initial hue and cry, the usual press statements and calls for investigation, his case is soon forgotten. He becomes just another statistic in the worsening record of criminality in the country.
The climate of impunity encourages masterminds and assassins to continue picking off journalists almost at leisure. The killers think: We're not going to be punished for it, so we're going to silence and kill those media men whose exposés have put us in a bad light.
Of the pre-martial law killings of journalists, only two have been solved: the murder in 1966 of Ermin Garcia Sr., publisher of the Sunday Punch of Dagupan City, and the slaying in 1967 of Antonio Abad Tormis of Cebu City.
In only one of the cases since 1986 has a suspect been arrested. The victim was Edgar Damalerio of the Scribe and Mindanao Gold Star of Pagadian City in Mindanao, who was slain on May 13, 2003. The suspected gunman, Police Officer-1 Guillermo Wapile, was arrested some time ago, but he soon escaped from police custody. He surrendered last Sept. 14 after the media protested against the apparent laxity of the police. But even while in detention, he is reported to be using his followers to harass the witnesses and the family of the victim.
The death toll of journalists was biggest in Mindanao, with 28. Second was Luzon with 16; third was the Visayas with nine; and last was Metro Manila with six. What the figures show is that community journalists are more vulnerable to assassins. This is so because the government officials, politicians and other public figures whom they criticize or whose wrongdoings they expose take their stories and commentaries personally. Cities and towns are tightly knit communities where everybody knows everybody else and one loses face when one's wrongdoings are exposed in the media.
Government officials, politicians and public figures in Metro Manila have recourse to the courts and file libel or damage suits if they feel they have been aggrieved or hurt by the media. But similar public figures in the provinces are more impatient and hotheaded; they feel they must avenge themselves immediately and thus either personally kill the hated journalist or take out "a contract" on him.
What must be done to stop the killings of journalists?
First, put an end to the climate of impunity that encourages the killing of journalists by going after the masterminds and killers, arresting them, prosecuting them, convicting them and making sure that they serve out their sentences.
Second, improve the performance of the police in solving crimes. The police have to do better intelligence work if they are to catch the masterminds and killers in the slaying of journalists. Also, in certain cases, collusion between the police and government officials, politicians or public figures involved in the slaying of journalists must be stopped.
Third, improve the system of dispensation of justice and hasten the adjudication of cases. The saying that "justice delayed is justice denied" is especially true in the cases of the more than 90 journalists who have been killed since pre-martial law days.
Fourth, set deadlines for the solution of the cases of slain journalists and make the police and prosecutors accountable for the arrest, prosecution and conviction of the killers.
Fifth, get the people, and particularly media men themselves, sufficiently aroused so that they would put continuous pressure on the authorities to solve the cases of slain journalists.
The people should realize that the killing of journalists is a real threat to freedom of the press, and ultimately, to their freedom. Until such time when journalists can be assured of protection from vindictive news subjects and of justice when something violent or fatal has been done to them, we cannot call the press truly free. And unless the press is truly free, we cannot have true democracy.
Updated 11:57pm (Mla time) Nov 22, 2004
Inquirer News Service
Editor's Note: Published on page A12 of the November 23, 2004 issue of Philippine Daily Inquirer.
THE KILLING of journalists is continuing unabated and the death toll has reached an alarming level. In just four days, from Nov. 12 to 15, two journalists were killed. The recent deaths raise the toll to 59 in the last 18 years since democracy was restored in 1986, or an average of three a year. Compare that with the 32 journalists slain in 14 years of Ferdinand Marcos' martial law rule, and tell us if that's not alarming.
The latest victims were Gene Boyd Lumawag, a photographer of MindaNews, who was slain in Jolo, Sulu, on Nov. 12; and Herson Hinolan, station manager of Radyo Bombo in Kalibo, Aklan, who was killed on Nov. 15.
The killings continue unabated because the climate of impunity has not been shattered. A journalist is killed, but after the initial hue and cry, the usual press statements and calls for investigation, his case is soon forgotten. He becomes just another statistic in the worsening record of criminality in the country.
The climate of impunity encourages masterminds and assassins to continue picking off journalists almost at leisure. The killers think: We're not going to be punished for it, so we're going to silence and kill those media men whose exposés have put us in a bad light.
Of the pre-martial law killings of journalists, only two have been solved: the murder in 1966 of Ermin Garcia Sr., publisher of the Sunday Punch of Dagupan City, and the slaying in 1967 of Antonio Abad Tormis of Cebu City.
In only one of the cases since 1986 has a suspect been arrested. The victim was Edgar Damalerio of the Scribe and Mindanao Gold Star of Pagadian City in Mindanao, who was slain on May 13, 2003. The suspected gunman, Police Officer-1 Guillermo Wapile, was arrested some time ago, but he soon escaped from police custody. He surrendered last Sept. 14 after the media protested against the apparent laxity of the police. But even while in detention, he is reported to be using his followers to harass the witnesses and the family of the victim.
The death toll of journalists was biggest in Mindanao, with 28. Second was Luzon with 16; third was the Visayas with nine; and last was Metro Manila with six. What the figures show is that community journalists are more vulnerable to assassins. This is so because the government officials, politicians and other public figures whom they criticize or whose wrongdoings they expose take their stories and commentaries personally. Cities and towns are tightly knit communities where everybody knows everybody else and one loses face when one's wrongdoings are exposed in the media.
Government officials, politicians and public figures in Metro Manila have recourse to the courts and file libel or damage suits if they feel they have been aggrieved or hurt by the media. But similar public figures in the provinces are more impatient and hotheaded; they feel they must avenge themselves immediately and thus either personally kill the hated journalist or take out "a contract" on him.
What must be done to stop the killings of journalists?
First, put an end to the climate of impunity that encourages the killing of journalists by going after the masterminds and killers, arresting them, prosecuting them, convicting them and making sure that they serve out their sentences.
Second, improve the performance of the police in solving crimes. The police have to do better intelligence work if they are to catch the masterminds and killers in the slaying of journalists. Also, in certain cases, collusion between the police and government officials, politicians or public figures involved in the slaying of journalists must be stopped.
Third, improve the system of dispensation of justice and hasten the adjudication of cases. The saying that "justice delayed is justice denied" is especially true in the cases of the more than 90 journalists who have been killed since pre-martial law days.
Fourth, set deadlines for the solution of the cases of slain journalists and make the police and prosecutors accountable for the arrest, prosecution and conviction of the killers.
Fifth, get the people, and particularly media men themselves, sufficiently aroused so that they would put continuous pressure on the authorities to solve the cases of slain journalists.
The people should realize that the killing of journalists is a real threat to freedom of the press, and ultimately, to their freedom. Until such time when journalists can be assured of protection from vindictive news subjects and of justice when something violent or fatal has been done to them, we cannot call the press truly free. And unless the press is truly free, we cannot have true democracy.
posted by Dante at 1:45 PM
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