IFJ and Philippine union welcome the conviction of journalist killer

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in welcoming the conviction of a co-accused in the 2010 murder of Miguel Belen, in Iriga City, in the Philippines.Belen, a part-time radio journalist at dwEB Nabua, CamSur was shot several times by two motorbike-riding assailants on July 9 and he later died in hospital from his injuries.NUJP Chairperson Rowena Paraan said: “While it provides a ray of hope for other cases of media murders in the Philippines, it must be noted that convictions of journalist killers are very few and far between. In fact very few cases reach the courts due to inept investigation or actual involvement of local executives and police in many of the cases.”“We welcome this conviction but we also demand a more determined effort on the part of PNP and DOJ so that more cases get filed and thus more convictions are secured” said Paraan. 

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