This report by Reporters Without Borders came out last week and has been commented on in previous posts but i’m posting it here for the record and for future reference.
Philippines – Annual report 2007
Despite new arrests of murderers, the authorities failed to stem the wave of violence against journalists. At least six were killed in 2006. And the press also found itself facing a new enemy: José Miguel Arroyo, the husband of President Gloria Arroyo, who took out a raft of defamation suits.
While her husband was lodging “defamation” complaints against more than 40 journalists, President Arroyo said, on 18 November 2006, that her government was “respectful of press freedom, an institution of Philippines democracy”. On the same day, journalist Ellen Tordesillas, a stern critic of the government received an email warning her: “Your days are numbered”. Murders, assaults, arrests, abusive law suits and censorship were the hallmark of 2006 in this country.
The avalanche of suits brought by the “first gentleman” in a country where defamation is still a criminal offence, put the liberty of scores of journalists in danger. In October, eight members of the management on privately-owned daily Malaya narrowly escaped arrest after publishing an editorial accusing the head of state’s husband of “corruption”. In a total of 43 suits brought against journalists, José Miguel Arroyo claimed a total of 70 million pesos (almost 1.1 million euros) in damages. In December, journalists’ organisations counter-attacked by bringing a complaint in their turn against the president’s husband for violating press freedom and demanding one peso in damages for each Philippine citizen.
Faced with a rebellion within the army, the president declared a state of emergency, on 24 February 2006. Several generals were locked up and the crackdown extended to the opposition press. Police searched The Daily Tribune on the same day and seized documents.
At least six journalists were murdered while doing their job in 2006, the majority of them were presenters on one of the country’s very numerous FM radio stations. In the Philippines, local stations sell airtime to private individual known as “block timers” who can then put out their own commercial or political programmes. Rolly Canete, gunned down in January 2006 in the city of Pagadian, Zamboanga del sur province in the south, presented programmes on local radio on behalf of a deputy and his wife, the province’s governor. Hit-men sometimes show extreme determination. Fernando Batul, commentator on dyPR radio was shot dead on his way to work on Palawan Island, south-west of Manila in May. A few weeks earlier he narrowly escaped a murder bid in which two grenades were thrown at his home. His assailants had left a letter advising him to “hold your tongue”. A police officer was arrested a few days later and the instigators were reportedly local politicians. The local press can also be targeted in the same way. Orlando Mendoza, aged 58, editor of the newspaper Tarlac Patro in Luzon province was murdered in April after receiving threats from a paramilitary group.
Gloria Arroyo’s administration has been widely criticised for its inability to act against the murderers of opposition and human rights activists. Some politically committed journalists have been victims of this political violence as in the case of Mazel and George Vigo who were killed on Mindanao Island in June. Community media defending the rights of peasant farmers were also targeted. In July, armed men torched a building housing Radyo Cagayano, one of whose presenters, a peasant union leader, was killed a few months later. The military is suspected of being behind these attacks.
Police and the courts have chalked up some successes in their struggle against the murderers of journalists. Four men found guilty of the murder of Marlene Esperat, a journalist specialising in corruption, who was killed in March 2005, were sentenced to life imprisonment. But collusion inside the justice system allowed those who ordered the killing to escape court for the time being. On the other hand, a former police officer suspected of being the “brains” behind the June 2004 murder of journalist Ely Binoya, was acquitted in March. The regional court in General Santos, southern Philippines, said that there was insufficient evidence against him.
There were at least 25 murder attempts and assaults and ten arrests during 2006. Censorship also bit deeper, often because of local politicians seeking to silence opposition media. In March the mayor of Valencia City, south of Manila, ordered the closure of radio dxVR, some of whose presenters were close to their political opponents. In the capital, a programme of reports on ABS-CBN was banned by the regulatory authority over the controversial subject of drug use in the country.
Finally the authorities in Aurora province, north-east of Manila, failed to mount any search for radio presenter Joey Estriber, a specialist on environmental issues, who was kidnapped in March. He had spoken out against illegal logging in the region.
Reporters Without Borders defends imprisoned journalists and press freedom throughout the world. It has nine national sections (Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland). It has representatives in Bangkok, London, New York, Tokyo and Washington. And it has more than 120 correspondents worldwide.
© Reporters Without Borders 2007
Thanks. Will pass this on to my friends in the Permanent People’s Tribunal for the Philippines convening at the Hague next month.
On the other hand, what effect does this report have on the Makapal?
We always equate, subconsciously or traditionally democracy to freedoms. And we always assumed that because the government of the Philippines is based on democratic principles, it is a democracy. To have Democracy, there must be unfettered Rights and Freedoms, some of them maybe limited reasonably for some lawful purpose, but one without is not a Democracy. They are in Essence one and the Same.
The Government of the Philippines can call it a Democracy, but at present day, with the present administration, where there is Limited Freedom to dissent, freedom from Fear, True freedom of Speech, and freedom to chose the leaders, and most of all freedom to live a life, then Democracy has lost its meaning. There are still a lot of Freedoms and Rights that are missing in the Philippines Democracy. We are free to tap tap whatever we want to say in this blog, but the truth is unlike in a true Democracy, we can not be as free and fear free to go out openly and not fear for our personal safety and of our family and without risking the Ire of Mickey (mouse) Arroyo of any of his Generals. It is not a Democracy. We are not Free..
Ellen,
Maybe it is the general atmosphere of cynicism or apathy, but have you noticed how really little public outrage there is over the issue? I think this has a lot to do with the fact that the Media and the Press people are not universally professional, honest and incorruptible. In the case of the six cases from 2006 mentioned for example, I’ve personally never heard of nor do I know a single one of the murdered victims. Nor do most people. Thus, I’ve no idea WHY they were actually killed. Nor does RSF seem to have any basis to claim that they were killed “while doing their job.” Maybe they were into blackmail and extortion as high profile journalists sometimes are, or maybe his wife got jealous. How do we actually know that he or the others weren’t killed for reasons totally unrelated to their jobs? I honestly don’t see how a generalization can possibly be made while respecting the Rule of Law. If the RSF report is to become “evidence” in a certain court in the Hague, I see now why it is considered a Soviet-style “kangaroo court” by some in which accusation is tantamount to conviction, no real defense is allowed except confession to the crimes, and the verdict is foreordained by ideology. It’s no different than the secret courts of the NPA or Jovito Palparan.
Press Freedom cannot be secured by resorting to totalitarian tactics. Don’t we remember what already happened to the “People’s Court” on Gloria? It was a pure leftist circus that only demeaned the serious charges against her and set back the democratic opposition by alienating ordinary people who saw it for what it was–a “Court” with no legitimacy or jurisdiction.
Gloria and her oink oink husband should not, never, must not, never underestimate Europeans.
If her bogus government officially invites an EU panel to observe electioneering and vote counting in Pinas, she should be very careful. She is handing them a key to pinning her with her own lies.
Think of this: If EU officials are officially invited, they will take that as a mandate to either absolve her of future accusations of rigging the elections or accuse her quite officially of the same when they find there’s been riggings (which they will eventually) or election crimes committed by this bogus regime.
It’s been done before and can be done again on the government of Belarus and against the then “elected” president of Belarus.
The Philippines is no better than the current state of Belarus.
Don’t forget that the
Published in http://www.malaya.com.ph/may22/edducky.htm
“We have an observation from a reader in Europe: “In an unprecedented move, the 25 member nations of the European Union decided to freeze the assets of President Alexandre Loukachenko and 35 other officials of the government of Belarus who were convicted of violating international election norms and for clamping down on political opposition.
“”The European Union had already banned some Belarus officials from obtaining entry visas to the EU and had also warned that other sanctions would be imposed.
“”Sanctions include the freezing of assets and all other financial resources of the people found guilty of violating international election norms and civil society rights.
“”Alexandre Loukachenko was elected to the Belarus presidency with 83 percent of the votes cast by the citizens of Belarus in an election contest which the European Organization for Security and Cooperation found did not duly conform to democratic election norms.” – Anna de Brux
“Can the Asean do something like this against Gloria?”
mabait naman daw si jose miguel angongo, sabi nila.
kapag tulog!
Mrivera,
“kapag tulog!”
Perhaps, it’s when he formulates his most bizarre plans for making more money and how to file more libel charges against each and every journalist who’s remotely against his unano wife: when he’s “tulog”.
GDDC,
“Nor does RSF seem to have any basis to claim that they were killed “while doing their job.””
RSF is not a police outfit. They record and expose the killings of journalists and crimes committed on journalists or the death of a journalist whether through his “own fault” or not is a crime.
It is up to legal authorities to examine, investigate the killings.
Once the results of an exhaustive investigation results are made, RSF will publish another report detailing the modus operandi used.
RSF is there to beef up the rights of its members. Up to Gloria’s government to rebutt RSF’s allegations. Until this bogus government does that, RSF must assume that its murdered members were indeed murdered for naught!
GSDC
“It was a pure leftist circus that only demeaned the serious charges against her and set back the democratic opposition by alienating ordinary people who saw it for what it was–a “Court” with no legitimacy or jurisdiction.”
1) You don’t know that because you don’t know all its members nor can you make such sweeping statements that all those who attended were leftists.
2) If by “court” we should include the oft-termed Gloria’s cavalcade of no do-gooders in her cabinet or her retinue of “officials”, of course, “court” could possess several meanings, i.e., Gloria’s “Court” with no legitimacy or jurisdiction.
Sang-ayon ako na hindi naman lahat ng pagpatay o tangkang pagpatay sa mga journalist ay related doon sa trabaho nila. Subalit mas mataas pa rin ang porsiyento na karamihan dito ay talagang sinadya at pinagplanuhan para patahimikin sila na makapagbunyag ng mga lihim ng i.e pulitiko, militar, npa, hoodlums, at iba pang mga kauri nito. Sinadya man o hindi alam natin na sa ganitong uri ng propesyon ay naroon ang panganib at minsan ay kamatayan. Hindi na ito bagong bagay sa atin. At kahit na ano pang ingat ang gawin natin mangyayari at mangyayari ang hindi dapat na asahan. Subalit ang masaklap nito, pagkatapos na maganap ang krimen halos wala kang makamit na katarungan. Nakalalaya pa nga ang salarin kapag kinakapitan ng sobra sobrang suwerte. Kulang daw sa sapat na ebidensiya ang malimit na ikinakatuwiran. Alam na rin natin ito. Ang problema ay wala tayong sapat na ngipin ng batas para malapatan ng hustisya ang mga salarin.Kinakailangan na mas mabigat na kaparusahan ang dapat na ilapat sa mga mapatunayang nagkasala sapagkat ang pagpatay sa mga journalist ay hindi mo maisasakatuparan ng hindi mo pagpaplanuhan sapagkat sila ay laging kahalubilo ng mga tao. Kaya dito ay masasalamin natin na masusing pagpaplano at paghahanda ang isinasagawa ng mga killer na ito upang maisakatuparan ang kanilang pagpatay. Kaya dapat ay doble ang kaparusahang igawad sa kanila kung sila ay mahuli. Ano man ang kanilang rason sa pagpatay, personal man o dahil sa pagbubunyag nila ng mga baho ng mga masasamang tao naroon pa rin yung bigat ng pagkakasala. Tayo namang mga kaanak ng mga journalist ay dapat handa tayo sa anumang kasapitan ng ating mga kaanak na journalist.Kailangang lagi tayong handa sa anumang mga pangyayari na magaganap. At lagi din tayong nakamonitor sa kanila. Bilinan natin sila, kailangan ang malimit na kontak, tawag agad kung nasa mga alanganing lugar. At ugaliin na lumakad ng may kasama. Kung hindi kayang kumuha ng kasama dahil kapos sa gastos, ay siguruhin naman na alam ng kasambahay kung saan siya tutungo at kung sino ang taong pupuntahan. Huwag tayong magpakabayani, bayani ka nga,… e sementeryo ka naman… wala rin.. doble ingat tayo mga kapuso nating journalist…
leonard,
nabasa mo na ba ang tunay na AFP, PNP at PSG na nagsasagawa ng likidasyon ng mga kontra sa mag-asawang baliw na mukhang baboy at daga sa malakanyang na ayaw umalis sa kanilang umaalingasaw na kural at lungga?
AFP – dating armed forces of the philippines, ngayon, armed forces of the pidals
PNP – dating philippine national police, ngayon, pidals’ notorious police
PSG – dating presidential security group, ngayon pidals’ suicide goons
sila ang mga pikit matang nagsasagawa ng pagpatay. diyan sila sinanay nang nakapiring ang mata. ang piring – kuwarta!
It matter not if the recent killings of of 6 journalists in 2006 job related or the countless others before, but the msytery behind those killings which most gone unsolved just deepened the suspicion. And with all the hoplaboos by the President to do everything in her power to dig deep down and resolve all these crimes, she might have dug in into something, she doesn’t want the world or her people to hear and see and some may have touched closer home much more than she likes to know. If not, then with all the resources and pronouncements, why are we still waiting for the results???
PV (Is that you AdB?) —
These “People’s Courts” are mockery of the Law and Democracy. They are self-appointed judge and jury in these cases and ought not to be taken seriously except as self-serving propaganda by ideologically motivated folks who pine for the certainty of an outcome they desire. But there can be no Justice without “the cold impartiality of a neutral judge and a fair jury.” These are political show trials with which the Soviets populated their gulag and which the Chinese and Kampucheans elevated to a dark art applied to millions of victims. It’s a slippery slope that some would have us skate down on. The good cannot triumph over evil by dispensing of what is inconvenient to its ends and adopting means that can only destroy them by moral inconsistency.
Yeah, it’s me Dean.
What are you ranting about? Which People’s Court are you talking about? In Russia or in The Hague?
Need I remind you that The Hague ain’t exactly in Sovietland.
Dirty Mama G, the A to Z of this issue, is keeping her mouth shut because all fingers point to her direction!
Don’t you just love the statement, “..And the press also found itself facing a new enemy: José Miguel Arroyo, the husband of President Gloria Arroyo..” ?
Maybe we should quote what Dubya said after 9/11 (regarding Osama Bin Laden): “Back in the ol’ west, we have an ol’ saying that goes, “Wanted: Dead or Alive.”
Chabeli,
“Maybe we should quote what Dubya said after 9/11 (regarding Osama Bin Laden): “Back in the ol’ west, we have an ol’ saying that goes, “Wanted: Dead or Alive.”
We have to keep the Fatso alive so we will have the pleasure seeing him and wives (kasama si Toh) suffer to hell after the May election.
On the second thought, Sige na nga DEAD na lang!
Chi:
“On the second thought, sige na nga DEAD na lang!”
DEAD na kung DEAD!!! NOW NA! Matagal pa ang election..marami pa ang parurusahan niya , if we extend his life!
Journalist or not, killing is killing. It`s a crime and it must be stopped. The failure of one`s government to stop those killings is a reflection of how weak his/her leadership is, you can`t solve a case without evidence or witnesses and the inability of the law enforcers to get a
hold of such important piece of the puzzle is a reflection of how lowly the people trusts those agencies and institutions. You don`t need any foreign government or agency to tell your government what to do, nor do you need any external watchdog to present you with data of these
unabated murders, all you need is the trust and respect of everybody around you. The problem arises when the people around you isn`t seem too inclined or convinced enough to give you their full trust and confidence. Just take a look at what happened to Dubya. Immediately after 9/11, Bush
had the full trust and confidence of the Americans and even his allies worldwide. So, it became easy for him to launch an offensive against Iraq. It is extra-judicial killing, too, right? I don`t remember the RSF even raising this issue before, but now that the trust and confidence is no longer there, where is Bush now? Do you think the Democrats would be able to control the American Congress if Bush still enjoys the support of the people? You can`t fight fire with fire, you need water to douse off the heat so to speak. So, if Arroyo is really sincere in her promise
to solve this mess she should banish from her administration those people that makes her leadership weak and stink. And she can start by “firing” the senile injustice secretary and the irrate and arrogant indefensible secretary. However, she doesn`t have the authority to do so either I guess, because she ain`t the real president, too.
ruhtra28,
but she was the one who appointed them to her also bogus cabinet.
Let’s get this one right:
” It is extra-judicial killing, too, right? don`t remember the RSF even raising this issue before, but now that the trust and confidence is no longer there,”
RSF is an association that caters to JOURNALISTS and MEDIA reporters, not an extra-judicial killing watchdog. It is NOT AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL.
RSF stands for Reporters Without Borders!
We have Medecins du Monde as well as Medecins Sans Frontières too… France-based associations of doctors but which have grown worldwide.
They don’t go around either as watchdogs for extra-judicial killings.
They are associations of doctors and nurses who cater to the sick and the needy in poor countries and war-torn or conflict areas.
PV said: “Gloria and her oink oink husband should not, never, must not, never underestimate Europeans…
If her bogus government officially invites an EU panel to observe electioneering and vote counting in Pinas, she should be very careful. She is handing them a key to pinning her with her own lies.
“… We have an observation from a reader in Europe: “In an unprecedented move, the 25 member nations of the European Union decided to freeze the assets of President Alexandre Loukachenko and 35 other officials of the government of Belarus who were convicted of violating international election norms and for clamping down on political opposition.
“The European Union had already banned some Belarus officials from obtaining entry visas to the EU and had also warned that other sanctions would be imposed.”
—
delikado pala ang nakatagong yaman ni patso sa europe pag nagkataon. siguradong aawayin niyan si bansot. kung ano-ano kasing pakulo ang maisipan. gusto pang magpasikat sa EU.
– –
unless those murders are solved, the government will always be hounded with accusations of being behind those killings. we can’t blame the witnesses either for not coming forward. why should they when they hear the suspect behind those extra-judicial killings even commended by the (unreal) president for a job well done?