Even during the Christmas season, journalist killings never stop

As the year 2006 ends, press freedom in the Philippines continues to be endangered. Adding to the worrying list of journalists who were killed this year was Andres Acosta, who was killed yesterday.

Here’s the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) on Acosta’s murder:

12th journalist murdered this year: An ignominy in a democracy
Source: NUJP

For the nth time, we call on the Arroyo government to exercise its political will by bringing the killers of journalists – gunmen and masterminds alike – to justice and end the culture of impunity which has allowed these attacks to continue.

We make this call in the wake of another colleague killed: Laoag City radio broadcaster Andres “Andy” Acosta, 46, stabbed to death early morning today (December 21) in Batac, Ilocos Norte.

Acosta’s death brings to 12 the number of media persons killed in 2006, and 48 those killed since Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed presidency.

Initial reports received by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said witnesses saw Acosta, who was traveling fast on board his motorcycle, suddenly skidding to a halt and collapsing. They then discovered that he already bore multiple injuries. He died at the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital, also in Batac, at around 10:30 a.m.

Acosta worked for Laoag radio station dzJC Aksyon Radyo (Action Radio), an affiliate of the Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC). It is the same station where Roger Mariano, a broadcaster killed on July 31, 2004, worked.

A police official interviewed over radio station dzBB said the killing was most likely related to Acosta’s “line of work.”

It is ironic that the killing occurred just two days after NUJP launched an information campaign for journalists’ safety. Titled “20 steps to safety”, the campaign seeks to increase risk awareness among journalists and arm them with needed information to minimize danger.

The mere fact that journalists have to campaign for safety already says a lot about the condition of press freedom in the Philippines. And the fact that media killings continue painfully stresses the point that journalists are deemed disposable by those who wish to silence criticism and keep the public ignorant of important issues.

We call on the Arroyo government to show that this is still a country where killers get arrested and convicted. Prove that there is a justice system in place protecting the citizenry and punishing criminals. Prove that this administration values press freedom.

Or else, you prove yourself unable, if not unwilling, to bring journalists’ killers to justice, thereby proving yourself unfit to lead a democracy, the cornerstones of which include freedoms of the press and expression.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also has an alert on the killing, which was also reported in the Toronto-based International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX):

PHILIPPINES: Radio reporter stabbed to death
Source: CPJ/IFEX

New York, December 21, 2006 – The Committee to Protect Journalists deplores the killing of Philippines radio broadcaster Andres Acosta, which police believe may be linked to his work. He was stabbed to death Wednesday in the town of Batac, 240 miles (390 kilometers) north of Manila.

“We join our colleagues in the Philippines in mourning the death of Andres Acosta, and calling for justice,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “The government must make progress in investigating and convicting those responsible for murdering journalists in the Philippines. The impunity with which killers operate has cost too many lives and hampered the ability of the press to report.”

Acosta, a reporter for radio station dzJC Aksyon Radyo, collapsed on his motorcycle while trying to get to a hospital after being stabbed in the head and body by an unidentified attacker.

Batac police chief Bienvenido Rayco told local media that the killing might have been related to Acosta’s work. “He had been receiving death threats,” Rayco said, without giving further details. He also noted that Acosta had been a witness in a court case and could have been a victim of revenge. No details of the case were available.

A colleague of Acosta’s at dzJC radio, Roger Mariano, was killed in 2004.

CPJ has confirmed that three other journalists were killed for their work this year in the Philippines.

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