Int’l Media Group Slams Western Countries for ‘Cowardice,’ Cites Constant Threats, Physical Attacks Vs Filipino Journalists

Hired killers continued to strike in the Philippines. Carmelo Palacios, of public dzRB Radio ng Bayan, in Nueva Ecija province in the north, was murdered on 17 April. Police themselves confirmed that the motive appeared most likely connected to this work. His body showed signs of injuries and he had bullet wounds to the face. Palacios worked on reports exposing corruption and he collaborated with the police to break up criminal gangs through the programme Citizens Crime Watch. At the time of his death, he was investigating cases of misuse of power on the part of police officers and local officials.

On Christmas Eve, two men riding on a motorbike shot dead Ferdinand Lintuan, a presenter on DXGO Radio, in Davao City, Mindanao island while he was travelling in a car with two colleagues, Louie Ceniza and Edgar Banzon. He was hit in the head by a bullet fired at point blank range and died instantly. He had been critical of local officials; in particular he had accused the governor of Davao of corruption in the development of a “People’s park” project, which he had dubbed the “crocodile park”. A few days later, police arrested a former soldier believed to have been hired to kill the journalist.

Four other journalists were killed in 2007, but it has been impossible to determine whether the reasons for the murders were linked to their work as journalists. There were also at least ten murder attempts on journalists during the year. In April two men shot at Delfin Mallari, of the Philippine Daily Inquirer in South Luzon and Johnny Glorioso, of radio DZMM, in the south of Manila. One bullet hit Delfin Mallari, who reports on timber and drug trafficking. A few days later the governor of Quezon, Rafael Nantes, took the two journalists to court. Delfin Mallari told the press that the legislator was the instigator of the murder attempt against him and his colleague. The governor responded, “There will be bloodshed if I lose the elections”. In July, it was an official in the transport minister who attempted to kill Ferdinand “Bambi” Yngson, of radio RGMA-Bacolod in Sagay City, Western Negros province, south-west of Manila after the reporter exposed embezzlement and unfair practices on the part of officials enforcing road regulations.

Jose Cagalawan Pantoja, of radio dxLS in Iligan, in the south of the Philippines suffered the same fate, when two men riding on a motorbike shot him several times in the stomach, leaving him seriously injured. He presents a daily programme “Katawhan Alagaran” (Serve the people), exposing corruption and criticising the governor Lanao del Norte, Vincente Belmonte. His remarks have landed him with numerous defamation suits, several of which were dismissed. Jose Cagalawan Pantoja was also spokesman for the former governor of Lanao del Norte, Imelda Dimaporo, who was beaten by Vincente Belmonte at the last elections.

The media which do most to expose corruption and abuse by armed gangs on Mindanao island have been the target of violence. Several vehicles belonging to radio dxCC in Cagayan de Oro, in the north of Mindanao, were damaged in a bomb attack outside the station in March. The radio’s director, Zaldy Ocon, received a death threat via a text on his mobile phone shortly before the attack.