The International

Federation of Journalists (IFJ) abhors the relentless disregard and disrespect

toward the Philippines

media community after another violent act of intimidation against a press

freedom activist was reported on November 27.

According to the National

Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), an IFJ affiliate, three unidentified people reportedly

shot at the home of Negros Press Club president and former NUJP national chairman Edgar Cadagat in Bacolod City,

Negros Occidental Province.

The attackers were travelling in a multi-cab vehicle and motorcycle.

Cadagat, who is a long-standing pillar of the press

freedom movement in the Philippines,

including during the years of the Marcos dictatorship, was fortunately not home

at the time of the attack.

The NUJP

has called this latest attack “revolting”.

It occurred four days after the massacre of 32 journalists as well as lawyers and civilians in a roadside ambush in

Ampatuan town in Maguindanao

Province on November 23.

“This shows that the global outcry and revolt against

the massacre has not stopped the attacks and threats against journalists in the

Philippines,”

the NUJP said.

At least 104 journalists have been killed in the Philippines

since the collapse of the Marcos dictatorship and the People Power Revolution

in 1986, according to the NUJP.

Prior to the November 23 massacre, more journalists

had been killed in the Philippines

under the administration of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo since 2001 than under any

other government in the Philippines.

“The Arroyo Government must act with the utmost

urgency to end the unrelenting violence and malevolency against the Philippines

journalism community,” IFJ Asia-Pacific

Director Jacqueline Park said.

“The media in the Philippines has endured too many

long years of violence. Last week’s atrocity must be fully investigated and all

those responsible brought to justice, just as attacks such as those against Edgar

Cadagat and numerous others must be investigated. This systemic violence

against the media must end.”

The IFJ has called for a Global Day of Solidarity on December 9 to

support colleagues in the Philippines

in their quest for justice. The day of action will coincide with an IFJ

international mission to the Philippines.

For more information, go to http://www.ifj.org/en/articles/urgent-ifj-philippines-appeal

For further

information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0919

The IFJ

represents over 600,000 journalists in

120 countries worldwide