The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today joined its affiliate, the
National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), in mourning the death of yet another journalist killed in Mindanao in the southern Philippines.
Desidario “Jessie” Camangyan, 52,
anchorman of Sunrise FM in Mati, Davao Oriental, was shot dead around 10.30pm last
night as he hosted a singing contest in Manay.
Regional police said the killer shot
Camangyan at close range beneath the right ear. A ”special investigation task force”
headed by Superintendent Jorge Corpuz has been established to investigate the murder,
according to a local news report.
The motivation for the murder is
unclear. Camangyan was known for criticism in his broadcasts on mining and
illegal logging issues, and Sunrise
station manager Bobong Alcantara said he believed this could be behind the
killing. News reports also noted Camangyan had campaigned for Mayor Michelle
Rabat in last month’s general elections.
The murder is the 138th killing of a
media worker in the Philippines
since 1986, and the 101st during the tenure of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,
according to the NUJP. On November
23 last year, election campaigning opened with the horrific massacre of 58
people, including 32 journalists and media workers, in Maguindanao, Mindanao.
“It is difficult to believe that the
killer is unknown when Jessie Camangyan was murdered on stage at a public event,”
IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline
Park said. “There is no excuse for local authorities to delay in bringing the
perpetrator and whoever may have ordered the killing to justice.”
In other news from Mindanao,
the IFJ commends the actions of four journalists who
have filed a criminal complaint following harassment by Camiguin Governor Jurdin
Jesus Romualdo and Nestor Jacot the day before the May 10 elections.
The four, among a group of seven media
personnel illegally detained on Camiguin
Island, lodged the
complaint on June 10 at the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor of Camiguin,
according to the NUJP.
Herbert Hugo Dumaguing and son
Hubert, Alphyn Cabañog and Algin Lobino accuse Romualdo of illegal detention,
grave threats, robbery and violation of Section 261Q of the Omnibus Election
Code, which pertains to the carrying of firearms during an election period.
The journalists were accompanied by
lawyer Fides Angeli Sabio, and escorted by several journalists and police
officers based in Cagayan de Oro.
“It is encouraging to see that journalists are filing cases against public
officials who attempt to intimidate journalists,” Park said. “The IFJ expects
the prosecutor’s office to act fully on their complaint.”
For further information contact IFJ
Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0919
The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 125 countries
worldwide