2009 is the deadliest year for journalists worldwide, with the election-related massacre of 31 journalists and media workers in the Nov. 23 Maguindanao massacre fuelling the record toll of 68, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.
In its yearend analysis, the CPJ said the killings in Maguindanao make up the “deadliest event for the press in CPJ history.”
The New York group recorded at least 68 journalists worldwide killed for their work this year, “the highest yearly tally” it said it ever documented, surpassing the previous record of 67 deaths set in 2007 when the Iraq war was raging.
The CPJ is investigating 20 other journalist deaths this year to determine if they were work-related. The 2009 toll is up more than 60 percent from the 42 deaths recorded last year.
Read here (VERA Files) for the rest of the story.
This is one world record the Philippines will be remembered in history for the most number of killed journalists in just one day. And Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will be remembered too, not only for being at helm of the government during the killings but because the perpetrators of the carnage are her political allies.
Let me say it direct to the point as I am not inclined to zig-zag my thoughts when it comes to gloria. As the self-proclamied pang-gulo ng Pinas and by virtue of command responsibility that comes with her self-imposition as such, and even as the crimes against Philippine humanity were un-doubtedly done by her political allies, all the murders, killings, carnage, mayhem and all that crap we’ve all been through for the past nine years points to no one else but gloria. Ergo, SHE and SHE alone was and still is the most culpable FU***KING shithole answerable to all charges. And even before the final decision is handed down, the verdict is GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt !!
A legacy of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
I reads this in yesterday’s edition of the DAILY TRIBUNE:
(This is in relation to her lapse in judgement, este decision to declare Martial Law in Maguindanao)
“Throughout the imposition of martial law, many critics found fault with our actions. They had no faith in our Constitution. They had no faith in men and women in the military and police to do their job. In fact, I am not sure if they have faith in the democracy,” Arroyo said of her critics.
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She still doesn’t get it, does she ? No faith ? Strange as it may seem but she is always the last bitch to know.
On a related topic, a woman judge willingly accepted to handle the Ampatuan case after the case was raffled. Mas may bayag pala ang babaeng judge kesa sa duwag na Judge Cortez.
GMA will also be remembered to be at the helm of the presidency when, in February 2004, SuperFerry14 was bombed by Muslim thugs/terrorists.
Iraq in a raging war – 67 journalists killed.
Philippines in peace time – 68 journalists killed.
Lamang ang Pilipinas ng isa, but enough to claim the world record.
Journalist casualties are supposed to be higher in war than during peace time, but this is not the case.
There’s no need to whack the brains out to figure what went wrong. Just think of Gloria who cuddled and pampered her military and her warlord cronies who were the instigators of these heinous crimes against the press and one will get all the answers.
Sa mga pahayag ng mga witnesses, karumal-dumal ang ginawa ng mga Ampatuan. Special mention was this Zaldy Ampatuan na sa pilitan kinukuha ang mga babae kapag napupusuan kahit may asawa. Kahit na sa harapan ng asawang lalaki, kukunin niya ang babae at kapag pumalag ang lalaki ay pinapatay ito.
No one dares to stare at the Ampatuan lest he gets shot. Ganyan kabagsik ang mga halimaw na inalagaan at pinalaki ni GMA.
Despite the public outrage of the Ampatuans’ crimes, here comes a Malacanang paid propagandist based in the US who continues to sing “Halleluja” to his Queen Gloria. Atty Rodel Rodis writes:
I understood his point but I also expressed my view that the issue went beyond GMA and that even if Fernando Poe. Jr. had been president in November of 2009, the Ampatuans would still have been the warlords of Maguindanao and the ARRM and this same massacre would have likely still occurred. The cancer of feudal warlordism is more deep-seated and existed before GMA became president and will continue no matter who is elected president in May 2010.
I would also add that it is not only the “lust for power” that causes barbarians to act with impunity, it is also the fact that in the history of the Philippines, people in power and even those out of power enjoy de facto immunity from prosecution. Unlike South Korea, Taiwan and Peru where former presidents were arrested, charged, imprisoned and convicted for corruption, that has not been the case in the Philippines.
The closest we ever came to such justice was when Erap Estrada was charged and convicted of plunder. But before he could even spend a day in the Bilibid prison, he was quickly pardoned by his successor GMA. It is understandable that GMA did not want to create a bad precedent for former presidents.
When I was still in the Philippines in 1970, a young warlord in Vigan, Ilocos Sur by the name of Vincent “Bingbong” Crisologo, the son of Gov. Carmeling Crisologo and Rep. Floro Crisologo, brought his private army of “Suzuki boys” to punish two towns that did not vote for his mother. The Bantay towns of Ora Centro and Ora Este were razed to the ground and many villagers slaughtered to teach them a lesson similar to the lesson that another young warlord, Andal Ampatuan Jr., wanted the people of Maguindanao to know. Don’t mess with the Crisologos then, don’t mess with the Ampatuans now.
Bingbong was arrested and charged with the pillaging of the towns and the murders of innocent civilians. He was convicted and sentenced to two life terms. While he was serving his sentence, however, Bingbong became a “born again Christian” and was pardoned. He is now in the Batasan serving as a congressman for Quezon City.
Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos committed countless crimes during their 20 years in power, including 14 years as conjugal dictators, ordering the tortures and executions (“salvaging”) of their political opponents and the theft of billions of dollars of the people’s treasury. But they never spent a single day in jail for their crimes.
Imelda even got the Philippine Supreme Court recently to order the return to her of the $650-M in jewelry that she stole fair and square. Imelda is now running for the Ilocos Norte congressional seat being vacated by her son, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., who is running for the Philippine Senate under the presidential banner of Erap Estrada.
During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos were tortured and killed by the Japanese imperial forces aided and abetted by their Filipino collaborators led by Jose B. Laurel, president of the puppet republic. Laurel’s sons even went to Japan to study and they ate the finest food in Malacanang while the people suffered. When the American forces returned to reclaim the Philippines as an American commonwealth, the Japanese command flew Laurel and his family back to Japan fearing American retribution for their collaboration.
Laurel was arrested by US authorities in Japan and extradited to the Philippines to stand trial for treason. But Laurel was never tried. Manuel Roxas, who was himself a member of Laurel’s puppet government, was elected president in 1946 and he immediately proclaimed an amnesty for all political prisoners including Laurel.
I believe Imelda Marcos ordered the execution of Ninoy Aquino and Erap “Bigote” Estrada similarly ordered the executions of Bubby Dacer and Edgardo Bentain. But they will never be charged with those capital offenses because nobody ever really pays for their crimes in the Philippines.
That is the culture of impunity that allows warlords and ambitious politicians to commit crimes against the people fully confident that they can always be pardoned, if they’re ever even charged with anything.
The murderous jackal, Andal Ampatuan Jr., may take comfort in this sorry history of impunity. After all is said and done, like Bingbong and Bongbong, he may yet serve as a future congressman.
GMA will go down in history, a leader like.. idi amin, sadam hussein, hitler, and the likes of evil leader of the world who chooses to follow the path of satan and his evil practices..and we all know, that all her evil ways have it`s end, only we are all out still waiting to come up soon..!! thats why, my prayer never stop, until GMA is no longer with us, either she be ousted or she be six feet under the ground with the backhoe as her tombstone..!!
merry christmas to all!!!
Another top record for gloria…at pag wala pang election sa 2010 at mukhang wala..that would be another record…
ma iba nga pala ako…nag travel uli siya this wweek? believe talaga ako..small but terrible indeed!
Ngayon na may Mayon volcano news, huwag sanang matabunan ang news or updates about the massacre case of the Ampatuans.
Bakit ba iyong news tungkol sa 3 generals na possible na involve sa ampatuans ay hindi agad pangalanan? Well, aabanga ko sa mga susunod na mga araw kung sino sila, o takot ang lahat na mention nin sila. Dapat ay nasa hold departure watch list kaagad sila, para walang takas.
I think all these would not have happened if the mortal enemies of those Islam fighters have even the littliest eggs.
The most peaceful place today is Burgos town in Isabela. Thre is nobody there. The municipal hall is deserted.