Update: Today at 2pm, photo-journalists will have their head shaved in front of the Department of Justice on Padre Faura st., to commemorate the darkest day not only in Philippine journalism one year ago.
Mangudadatu’s wife was supposed to file the certificate of candidacy of her husband against Ampatuan Jr for the position of governor.
From Ateneo School of Government:
From the Ateneo School of Government:To give way to the event in Maguindanao commemorating the Ampatuan Massacre where key policy actors will be attending, the public presentation of the PODER study on government response to election-related violence scheduled on 23 November 2010, 8:00am – 1:00pm, is postponed to a later date, which will soon be announced.
Fifty-seven bodies were recovered from the area which was turned into a mammoth graveyard by a backhoe that belonged to the provincial government. Of the 57, 31 were journalists, who were supposed to cover Mangudadatu’s filing of certificate of candidacy.
Fifty-eight actually were killed, 32 of them journalists. The body of Midland Review staff Reynaldo “Bebot” Momay , who was with the convoy, remains missing up to this day. Only his dentures were recovered from the killing site.
The massacre shocked the world and earned for the Philippines , the label as the most dangerous place for journalists.
The prosecution of the perpetrators of the crime has moved so painfully slow but witnesses who have dared come out against the Ampatuans reveal that the massacre was a family decision, approved by the father, former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr.
The heinous crime was made possible by the coddling by the Arroyo government of the Ampatuans in exchange for their delivery of manufactured votes during elections. The Maguindanao votes were crucial in Gloria Arroyo’s theft of the 2004 elections from opposition candidate Fernando Poe, Jr.
A number of activities have been lined up to remind the public that we are a long way from obtaining justice for the victims of the Ampatuans. Today, Nov. 22, at 9:00 a.m., the Center for International Law will hold a forum at the University of the Philippines College of Law auditorium with UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression Frank La Rue as main speaker.
La Rue will be sharing his thoughts and experiences in CICIG (The International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala) and its role in Investigating and Prosecuting Sensitive Cases and Strengthening Justice Sector Institutions. The UN-backed CICIG carries out independent investigations into the activities of illegal security groups and clandestine security organizations, defined as groups that commit illegal acts that affect the Guatemalan people’s full enjoyment and exercise of their fundamental human rights, and have direct or indirect links to state agents or the capacity to block judicial actions concerning their illegal activities.
In the evening, there will be a benefit concert “ Never Forget” starting at 7:00 PM at Access Point Restobar (near Morato).
Tomorrow, Nov. 23, from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. the Ateneo School of Government will hold a forum on “Government Response to Election-Related Violence-Institutional Assessment and Policy Reform Proposals” at the Astoria Plaza Hotel, Escriva Dive (formerly Amber Avenue), Ortigas Center, Pasig City.
In the afternoon, let’s all go to Morayta, in front of the Far Eastern University, for a mass and short program at the Chino Roces bridge.
In Mindanao, there will be an inter-faith ceremony at the massacre site starting at 7 a.m.
***
It’s not all bad news coming out of Mindanao. Congratulations to MINDANEWS, a Mindanao-based news organization which is this year’s recipient of a Peace Award given annually by the Ateneo de Zamboanga University.
In ceremonies held at ADZU Friday, the Jesuit university cited Mindanews for their “significant contributions in providing accurate, timely and comprehensive news and information on Mindanao, its people, its culture, and its advocacies in the pursuit of being an alternative medium of media coverage especially in peace and development concerns, thus making a marked difference in Journalism and Public Information in the country.”
Mindanews is a cooperative composed of Mindanao-based journalists who believe it’s their “responsibility to ensure a mixed balance of reports (about Mindanao) beyond the usual fare published in national newspapers or aired on radio and TV.”
The citation traced the beginnings of Mindanews in 2000 when “a small group of dedicated professional journalists, led by Carol Arguillas, asked themselves how they could go beyond simply feeding news of conflict to war-biased Manila-based national dailies” while some parts of the region were still reeling from the all-out war policy of President Estrada against the Muslim rebels.
The citation mentioned about the challenges that Mindanews had and continues to face, the most poignant of which was the death of one of its members, photo editor Gene Boyd Rodriguez Lumawag who was s gunned down in Jolo, Sulu, on November 12, 2004 while on an official mission.
Mindanews, a partner of VERA Files, has a served as secretariat for the Mindanao Media Summit, a coalition of print and broadcast media practitioners conscious of their role in pushing for Mindanao peace and development.
The group also undertakes journalism training for students, non-government organizations and cooperatives, and skills improvement for practicing journalists.
Calling the story of Mindanews as a “modern peace epic, the citation said, “It has become a touching story of the (same) search for peace with justice, integrity and sustainability.”
The Ateneo Peace Award was established in 1998 and is given to persons, groups or organizations, government or non-governemnt “ who had made significant contributions to the peace process and the culture of peace. “ Previous Peace awardees include Lt. General Mohammad Benjamin D. Dolorfino and and Lt. General Raymundo B. Ferrer, both from the AFP in 2009, Nagdilaab Foundation Incorporated in 2008, Balay Mindanao Foundation, Inc in 2007 and Most Reverend Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ, DD in 2006.
The Peace Award is one of the Special Awards given by ADZU to persons or groups who give hope to the hopeless. Other awardees were the Archdiocese of Zamboanga for the Abp Luis del Rosario SJ DD award; Assisi Development Foundation for the Pro Deo et Patria award; and film director Sheron Dayoc, an alumnus of ADZU, for using his expertise in films like “Halaw” that “weaves into the complex human trafficking issues of our time and makes a movie worth our attention and reflection.”
Not to beat up on a dead horse: hopefully, PeNoy is paying attention as to the progress of this, the Maguindanao Massacre case, as he pushes to promote pinas to the whole world as kay ganda, or whatever slogan they come up with.
He should take note that many of the victims are from the press. That should ring a bell in his head.
23! Nov. 23, Aug. 23. 23, may ibig sabihin kaya sa pinas ang malagim na petsa na 23?
Meron. Michael Jordan – number 23. 😛
My source is a pipitsugin, so ma-aaring walang mangyayari talaga. Pero ang banggit, mukhang in the next two weeks, President Noynoy Aquino will deliver a speech identifying his economic and social programs for Mindanao that he believes will hasten the peace process.
Sana nga naman!!!
23… wasn’t Feb 23 when the Muslim terrorists blew up SuperFerry 14 in Manila Bay?
Feb 27 yung superferry tragedy: http://reklamo.ph/among/sf14.htm
For money and power, nasilaw ng husto ang mga hoodlum Ampatuans. Mabulok sana sa bilanguan ang buong maganak! Everytime I see the young Ampatuan grin, gusto kung pukulin ang mukha kaya lang baka masira yung tv ko. That was what I used to do with the evil bansot everytime I saw her on tv. Nasira tuloy yung isang tv ko.
More power to the Mindanews!
The other week I saw someone being interviewed and he said, he used to work with a lot of the journalists who got killed. As a result, they closed down the business. How sad naman.
this cause should be taken up by every freedom loving filipino, we must not allow the country to forget, we must condemn this brutal act of inhumanity to man!
i used to hear from some people (supporters of gloria) that the media people involved were there because they were paid to write, say, anything against the ampatuans, and i admit there was a time when i believed them, at times even tolerating comments that they deserved it…i was wrong…
one of the journalists happen to be our neighbor in general santos, with small children…by the looks of it, she has been living too simple a life to have earned extra income…so they were all lies…i’m sorry to have repeated these lies also…gloria must also take responsibility for the action of her ally…her tuta…no, her attack dogs…
Mindanews made a body count of the dead. It was more than 58, if I recall it right it was 65? It got the names of those victims based on interviews of the affected families. How come the press keeps on reporting 57 or sometimes 58? It’s more!
From Ateneo School of Government:
To give way to the event in Maguindanao commemorating the Ampatuan Massacre where key policy actors will be attending, the public presentation of the PODER study on government response to election-related violence scheduled on 23 November 2010, 8:00am – 1:00pm, is postponed to a later date, which will soon be announced.
the Maguindanao “massacre” was not the result of the Ampatuans notoriety per se, but the cultures of the National Political Leaders of coddling and patronizing the powerful clans, supporting them financially, legally and politically for their own political gains…it could be any other clans as it will soon prove as long as the this practice never cease. It is not in the name, they were created, nurtured and allow to become the Monster they were. And as we discuss the massacre in its first anniversary, there are still many armed clans and warlords active in the country. Apowderkeg waiting to explode.
I think the Manila-centered media could be blamed for focusing too much on entertainment and the national government, failing to put in the national consciousness the series of local events (since Marcos’ time mind you) that culminated in the massacre.
People should ask why do we need a shocking event to happen to be aware? Unfortunately, the media can feed the people a few soap opera’s and showbiz scandals and people will not fail to forget the depressing reality.
To clarify about the media I mentioned in my last post, I am referring to the major television networks ABS-CBN and GMA7, not the print media which our gracious hostess belongs to.
The carnage committed by the Ampatuans was a clear result of Gloria Arroyo’s coddling of her political bffs and criminals no less.
Wala nang mas klaro pa dyan!
In memory of the victims of the Ampatuan murderous clan, I am shutting down my Facebook page for 24 hours starting at midnight Philippine time…
The living must fight for justice to avenge the death of each and every victim of this heinous murdering Ampatuan clan so the victims may finally rest in peace.
Mindanao journalists, especially those from warlord-controlled areas, live a life of constant danger and worse, the threat spills over to their families.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20101123-304737/PDI-man-packs-a-gun-wears-bullet-proof-vest
Thanks, Anna.
Wow, ano na naman ito? Proclamation No. 50 – the Amnesty to the Oakwood mutineers and the Bonifacio standoff is being delayed because Ochoa is going to revise the proclamation?
Kinokontra pa ni Joker dahil gusto nitong matandang ito na merong “remorse” o amission of guilt muna, bago amnesty.
Haay, wala bang “finality” ang mga Malacañang proclamations? Naman!
*admission of guilt
Slip of The TonGuE:
“…admission of guilt…”
merong multo!
It is Guingona, Aquino’s ally in the Senate that requested the amendment of the proclamation because it is stipulated in the proclamation that it shall take effect “immediately”. This is unconstitutional because the amnesty cannot take place until Congress concurs.
“This is unconstitutional because the amnesty cannot take place until Congress concurs.”
Wow ha. Proclamation #50 na ito. Hindi na ito #1 to #10 na pwedeng palagpasin.
Bakit nag-isyu ng order na unconstitutional ang opisina ng Pangulo? Kahit panahon ng “bobong” si Erap, hindi nangyayari yan.
Juicekupo, meron namang legal adviser a, abugado rin itong si Ochoa diba? Ilang beses pa bang ipapahiya ng mga ito si Noynoy?
Magpaka-Enteng naman kayo, mga kapalmuks.
@TonGuE-tWisTeD
It seems that part of Proclamation 50 was lifted from one of the proclamations of his mother’s revolutionary government.
I don’t agree with the amnesty but I must say that all these bloopers are making me crazy.
It has been superseded by Proclamation #75. Isinama na pati PNP. SAF’s C/Supt Marcelino Franco is part of the Feb 2006 withdrawal of support. and one other officer who was not identified.
Ngayong lalaya na rin si Franco, baka pwede na siyang kumanta kung paano nila in-operate yung ballot/ER/COC-switching sa bodega ng Batasan sa parating na Truth Commission. Dapat lang.
Sagot ko na ang microphone at videoke.
Tongue, this Franco was never incarcerated.
Oo nga pala. Na-relieve lang pero di nakulong dahil nanahimik. Di tulad nila Querubin at Lim.