The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is
today horrified to learn of the killing of a radio broadcaster in the northern
Philippines, the second media killing
within two days.
Joselito Agustin, 37, a
commentator for dzJC Aksyon Radyo-Laoag, was shot on his way home to Bacarra
town, Ilocos Norte, late on June 15 and died in hospital at 1.15 am today. The
culprits were riding a motorcycle.
The murder came about 24
hours after the brazen killing of broadcaster Desidario “Jessie” Camangyan,
anchorman of Sunrise FM, in Mati, Davao Oriental, as he hosted a singing contest
in Manay, in the southern province of Mindanao.
“These killings, barely
half a month before president-elect Noynoy Aquino takes office, show that
enemies of press freedom in the Philippines are confident they can
continue to get away with murder,” IFJ
Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park
said.
Agustin’s death is the
139th killing of a media worker in the Philippines since 1986, and the 102nd
during the tenure of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, according to the National Union of
Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), an IFJ affiliate.
Agustin
reportedly had been receiving death threats, and his home was strafed with
gunfire on May 7, according to news reports. Colleagues were quoted as saying
Agustin’s anti-corruption position might be motivation for the
attacks.
“Aquino must send a
strong and clear message to law enforcers and justice officials that he will
take all necessary action to end the killings of media workers, and to see
justice prevail against the perpetrators of these vicious crimes,” Ms Park
said.
“And Gloria Arroyo must be held
accountable for her failure to act on more than 100 killings of media workers
during her presidency. As a Congresswoman in the new Congress, she remains at
the forefront of our attention to seeing that justice is
done.”
Correction: A revised tally of the number of media killings that have occurred during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo puts the number of deaths at 106, not 102 as stated above.
For further information contact IFJ
Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0919
The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 125 countries
worldwide