Philippines, Journalists’ Grave

The nine year presidency of Mrs. Arroyo saw 104 journalists murdered and altogether, 140 since the fall of the Marcos fascist dictatorship in 1986. In one day alone last year, a record of 32 journalists were viciously killed in the Maguindanao massacre.

That makes the Philippines one of  the most dangerous places on earth for journalists to practice their trade.

What is wrong with the press people mostly provincial radio anchors that they are the favorite of assassins?

Basically there’s none. They are just doing their job to inform or educate their listeners on the pressing issues in their locality that may be about corruption, illegal activities such as illegal gambling, smuggling, illegal logging and other criminal acts of elected officials, military personnel or ordinary citizens.

I said “basically” because from what I observed; sometimes, provincial radio anchors tend to overkill their expose by resulting to abusive and curt words the culprits don’t like to hear. Commentaries can be delivered in many ways but I don’t know why some commentators cannot modify their piece for a better-sounding delivery without altering the facts and their point.

There has been a proposal that journalists especially in the provincial broadcast industry should be re-trained. On what kind of training is that is not clear but I believe that it has something to do with ethics, code of journalism and other existing and applicable laws. Not all in the Philippine broadcast industry went to Broadcasting School to learn the art academically and thoroughly.  Instead, some learned to be in the industry through  sheer guts and instinct.

However, the broadcaster’s  on the air follies and misgivings should not serve as a ticket to the grave. The affronted has always an access to the courts and is free to file grievances against a radio personality  believed  to have broken broadcasting laws, ethics and other existing laws and let the wheel of justice roll.

So long as the lives of the press people are under constant threat, no one has the right to say that the Philippines has the freest press in Asia or say that there is freedom of the press and of expression in the country.

Let us see what the in-coming administration is capable of in stopping the senseless killing of media practitioners. -30-