The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) reiterated its call for urgent action by authorities in the Philippines to end the violence against journalists in the country, following the third murder of a media worker in less than a week.

The murder of Nestor Bedolido, of the weekly TheKastigador in Digos City, Davao del Sur, Mindanao, on Saturday night brings to 140 the number of journalists and media workers killed in the Philippines since 1986.

Of this toll, 107 have been killed under the outgoing Arroyo administration, according to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), an IFJ affiliate.

“Ending the killings of journalists and resolving past cases will be a litmus test of how seriously incoming president Benigno Aquino considers his promise of good governance for the Philippines,” IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said.

“Without urgent and strong action to ensure justice for these murders, we fear the killings and culture of impunity will continue.”

According to a report in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Bedolido, in his late 40s, was known to be critical of a prominent politician in Davao del Sur, and was believed to have written a series of exposés against the official.

Bedolido was shot six times on the street by a lone gunman who then “casually walked to a waiting motorcycle driven by another unidentified man”. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but died before he could receive treatment.

Last Wednesday, Jovelito Agustin, of dzJC Aksyon Radyo-Laoag, in Ilocos Norte, in the northern Philippines, died after he was shot on his way home.

About 24 hours earlier, Desidario “Jessie” Camangyan, anchorman of Sunrise FM, in Mati, Davao Oriental, Mindanao, was killed by a single shot to the head as he hosted a singing contest in Manay.

“Aquino will be judged on his resolve to hold accountable his predecessor, Gloria Arroyo, for the unprecedented loss of media workers’ lives during her nine-year watch,” Park said.

For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0919

The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 125 countries worldwide