The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the National
Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in calling for an immediate investigation into
the murder of journalist Johnson Pascual, in Alicia, in Isabela province in the
northern Philippines.
Pascual, editor-in-chief of Prime News and a columnist with several
other newspapers in Isabela, was shot while driving to Cauayan
City by two
unidentified men on a motorcycle on October 7. He was shot in the head and
torso, and died after losing control of his vehicle and crashing into a ravine.
Police are yet to identify
any suspects or establish a motive for the murder. In addition to his work as a
journalist, Pascual worked as a bank manager with the First Isabela Cooperative (FICO) Bank based in Maddela town,
Quirino province. Another Isabela-based bank manager, Rufo Uy, was murdered in
similar circumstances on September 18, according to Inquirer.net.
“While the motive for Pascual’s
murder is not yet clear, it is troubling to hear of the death of another
journalist in the Philippines,”
IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline
Park said.
“The IFJ implores authorities to act
quickly to apprehend those responsible for his murder, and establish any
connection to his work as a journalist.”
If Pascual’s murder
is related to his work, he will be the 147th journalist to be killed
in the line of duty since 1986, and the sixth under the present administration of President Benigno Aquino III. He
was not known to be at odds with any local politician in the province and his
columns rarely tackled critical issues against specific individuals or groups,
according to journalists in the area.
The IFJ extends its sympathy to
Pascual’s family and colleagues.
For further
information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific
on +612 9333 0919
The IFJ represents
more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countries
Find the
IFJ on Twitter: @ifjasiapacific
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