Killing of journalists and the culture of impunity

The Philippines is the most dangerous place for journalists like me. Since the time the late dictator became so obsessed of staying in power, journalists were either arrested, detained or worst, abducted and killed. Even during the time of former President Corazon C. Aquino, whose rise to power somehow restored press freedom and democracy, the attacks against journalists continued.
It was during her term when journalists felt that even under a democratic setup, freedom of the press, which symbolizes democracy, remains an elusive dream.

Remember the late Louie Beltran? My favorite radio commentator and columnist know for being candid with everything he says on air or in his column in the Manila Standard was charged with libel by no less than Pres. Aquino herself for saying that so afraid was the president that she hid under the bed during the height of the 1987 coup.
The attacks against journalists eased during the time of Former Pres. Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada. Perhaps because they have their way with media or simply because they seem to respect the media as an important flavor of democracy.
Killing of journalists and other attacks against press freedom is the worst under the present administration. With 33 of the 77 journalists and media practitioners killed in the line of duty, the death toll under Pres. Arroyo's administration has overshadowed the number of journalists and media practitioners killed from the time of former Pres. Aquino up to the short lived term of former Pres. Estrada combined.
Making matters worse, most of the murder cases involving journalists and media practitioners remain unsolved and the perpetrators never had to spend a day in jail or at least have his day in court for the gruesome crimes they committed.
Aside from media killings, the attack against press freedom today, has never been worst. The First Gentleman himself has filed multiple libel charges against journalists critical of the first family. The filing of libel, which has been criminalized, is seen as a way of threatening or intimidating journalists by the powers-that-be.
It's also during the present administration that journalists covering a significant event in the country's history as it unfolds, now more popularly called the Manila Peninsula Siege, were arrested, detained and treated like criminals or enemies of the state. They were escorted outside the hotel, handcuffed like common criminals, for doing their job! Worst, the Philippine National Police (PNP) official who ordered the arrest of the media men inside the hotel seem to have gotten away with it.
The incident or the worsening situation that made the Philippines the most dangerous place for journalists and media practitioners second to Iraq did not seem to bother members of the Philippine media.

Most of the killings which remain unsolved have been easily forgotten, even by the very people whose profession was violated. The government did nothing to solve these killings. Worst, those in Malacanang even had the nerve to blame everything to irresponsible journalism.
Today's journalists and media practitioners continue to do their job day after as if it never happened. We remain critical while providing the people with relevant news and information as accurate, fair and objective as possible.

But it seems, everything about the media killings have been forgotten.

I must admit, only a few journalists have what is lacking among journalists nowadays - advocacy. Advocacy for press freedom and democracy.

The least we can do - to take the cudgel for our fallen colleagues - seemed to have slipped our minds.

Two of my colleagues and close friends - Albert Orsolino and Dick Melendres were killed by assassins. Orsolino's killers remain scot-free. While the killers of Melendres was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment, a slap in the wrist, I might add, the masterminds of both murders never had to spend a day in jail or at least have his day in court.

The motive was personal, perhaps. But then again, the murders of my two colleagues, whether because of personal grudge or a huge gambling debt for that matter, is not justifiable. There is no justification in killing another person which deprived him of his life for whatever reason. Yet, we failed.

For most of my colleagues, we can only weep. We can only grieve with his family.

We all were guilty of cowardice for not fighting the ills of society - the poor police investigation... the failure of the prosecution to gather sufficient evidence and prosecute those involved, and the weak judicial system that seem to protect the criminals more than they protect the victims and their relatives.

I can only weep and grieve...