The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls
on authorities in the southern Philippines
to take immediate action to investigate death threats against Manny Agustero, of dxIF-Bombo Radyo, in Cagayan de Oro.
Agustero received four
calls on the evening of October 20, after an on-air discussion about alleged illegal
gambling operations on October 18, in which he reported that the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) had complained to the city
council over the alleged proliferation of illegal lottery outlets.
The first of the
unidentified callers told him “he would be the next journalist to fall”, a
chilling reminder of the fact that journalists are routinely murdered in the Philippines.
Another caller on a
different phone number called shortly after saying Agustero would be killed the
following day. Another two calls were made, threatening he would be shot in the
head, according to the National
Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), an IFJ affiliate.
“The IFJ demands an
immediate police investigation into the threats against Agustero, and reminds
President Benigno Aquino of the IFJ’s appeal for his government to take
credible action to end
the culture of impunity in the Philippines,” IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said.
“Threats like these again
highlight the extreme dangers for media workers in the Philippines,
especially those who report in the public interest on allegations of corruption
and crime.”
The NUJP reports that another broadcaster, Nilo Labares,
ofdxCC-Radio
Mindanao, survived a shooting attack afterreporting on the same topic in early 2009.
For further
information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific
on +612 9333 0919
The IFJ
represents more than 600,000 journalists in 125 countries
Find the
IFJ on Twitter: @ifjasiapacific