In Brussels last Tuesday, Aquino was asked about human rights violations in the country. In defending his administration, he cited as an example the killing of journalists that has earned for the Philippines the ignominious reputation of the third most dangerous place for journalists, next only to strife-torn Syria and Iraq.
“For instance, in the media killings, some who used to work in media died. Did they die because they were investigative journalists? Were they exercising their profession in a responsible manner, living up to journalistic ethics? Or did they perish because of other reasons?” Aquino said.
This is another example of Aquino’s warped thinking.
Human beings were killed. That’s murder. He should be concerned about it.
Whether the journalist’s killing was work related or not, that is still murder. And murder is a crime.
Aquino asks,” Were they exercising their profession in a responsible manner, living up to journalistic ethics?”
Granting that some of the murdered mediamen violated journalistic ethics, killing them is still not justified. The Philippines is a government of laws. The party aggrieved by the journalists has options to seek redress; one of them is the libel law. Murder is never an option and of all people, the President, should never rationalize it.
Aquino should be reminded of his oath to “preserve and defend its Constitution, execute its laws, do justice to every man….”
Number one in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights says: “No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws.”
Who are Marlene Esperat, Gerry Ortega , Nilo Baculio, Romy Olea?
Marlene Garcia-Esperat started the expose of the diversion of hundreds of millions of money for farm fertilizer to the campaign kitty during the administration of Gloria Arroyo.
Marlene was killed in the presence of her children in her own home on March 24, 2005.
Gerry Ortega was a medical doctor who was also a broadcast journalist. He was also an environment activist. He was shot at the back at a used clothing store in Palawan on Jan. 24, 2011.
Nilo Baculio, a crusading journalist from Mindoro, was killed on June 12, 2014 by two motorcycle men riding in tandem. He was working on a story on illegal drugs syndicate at the time of his death.
Romy Olea, radio commentator of DWEB-FM in the province of Camarines Sur was shot several times in an ambush in barangay San Jose, Iriga City inthe morning of June 13, 2011 while he was on his way to work.
They are just four in the list of journalists killed in the Philippines.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said “Aquino’s latest remarks on media killings expose a blatant disregard for justice.”
“This only buttresses our contention that Aquino cannot wash himself of the blood of those who have fallen under his watch and of those whose murders he continues to gloss over, for blaming the victims is tantamount to approval of the fate that befell them.”
I couldn’t agree more.
what do you expect from someone who got elected solely based on his name not on his abilities or qualifications. he is not a statesman by any means.
Kahit na di nakapag aral ng husto ay di magagawang sisihin ang mga namatay na Journalists.
NOYNOY talaga.
Eto ba ang tatakbo ulit dito sa atin.
Malas
our national leaders are inept and indifferent…that’s why they don’t take any responsibility. Thats why they make people wait instead of being prepared or proactive, thats why they ignore with many excuses instead of doing and planning what is supposed to be done. That’s why they keep government positions for themselves..pure greed and lust for power at the expense of the common good..at the expense of the country!
I just remember, yong tatay din ng presidente was murdered pero hanggang ngayon unsolved pa rin at hindi natin alam kung sino ang pumatay kay ninoy.
now, that journalists know they are no different from others and are likely to treated like anyone, they’re going to be more careful with how they do their jobs. they have to learn new survival tricks and help look after themselves, as they cannot expect the president to come running to the rescue.
I’ve heard that bill of rights is just a myth, there is no law that backs it up. it will be your rights against that of another. you will get justice if you can afford it, user pay.
I was there during this event, and in fairness, I think this comment was taken out of context. The person who asked the question claimed that there are still hundreds of journalists being killed in the Philippines even up to now. This is why Pnoy was saying that one should not immediately conclude that a journalist who died was extrajudicially killed. He also spoke about an exact number of journalists that they have confirmed to be killed during the exercise of their profession (by military or politicians) and there he said that the government will make sure that justice is achieved. Of course, if one picks out that one sentence from his whole answer, and leave aside the context of the question itself, one would reach the same conclusion as Ellen did in her blog. I also agree that the phrasing of the answer could have been better, but I think that it is clear for most people in the room what the essence of his reply was, and that is not to disrespect those journalists that the government itself has identified to have been victims of extrajucidial killings.
ano’ng klase ng pag-iisip at katwiran meron itong si noynoy na bawat isyu ay puro iwas pusoy at paninisi ang alam gawin upang mailayo ang pukol sa kanya?
sa palagay kaya niya ay nakakatulong sa kanyang pamumuno kung sa bawat pagtitipon na kanyang dadaluhan ay bigyang puna ang kawalang aksiyon ng mga kinauukulan upang malutas ang bawat kasong kanilang pinangakuang agarang sosolusyunan?
masama at masakit ang kanyang kalooban kapag pinupuna ang mga kapalpakan sa ilalim ng kanyang administrasyon. natural lamang na maging sensitibo siya sa damdamin ng mga tinatawag niya palagi na kanyang boss.
isang babala sa iyo noynoy: HUWAG NA HUWAG NIYANG GAGAWIN ANG GANYAN SA AMING MGA OFW at tangnakamu mag-alsa balutan ka na at walang wala kang suportang makukuha mula sa amin! nagpapakahirap kaming malayo sa aming pamilya dahil sa pagiging INUTIL ninyong mga namumuno at puro lamang kayo pangako at KUNG wala kaming mga OFW ay wala din ang aming remittance na siyang nagpapatakbo ng ekonomiya SAPAGKAT ang lahat ng inuutang ng gobyerno mula sa mga foreign banks ay NINANAKAW LAMANG NINYO!
diretsahan na ito! dahil sa iyong mga kapalpakan, kayabangan at walang katapusang paninisi sa iyong mga inaakalang DAPAT pagbuntunan ng sisi AY tandaan mo – KAHIT SINO ANG ITAAS MO ang kamay upang maging standard bearer ng iyong partido ay BOKYA ang boto sa 2016!
isang babala sa iyo noynoy: HUWAG NA HUWAG MONG GAGAWIN ANG GANYAN SA AMING MGA OFW…….
at aop-bal at 5, you have a beautiful mind, balanced and well educated. hanga ako sa yo.
The photo you used for Romy Olea is that of Romeo (Romy) Olea, my classmate from Naga City. He resides in California, is very much alive, and is not a journalist.
I don’t know who the Romy Olea journalist is, but am definite he is not the Romy Olea I know.
Thank you, Ding for the info. I will remove the picture. Sorry for the mistake.
Buhay pa si Romy Olea!? LOL.