At least 68 journalists worldwide were killed for their work in 2009, the highest yearly tally ever documented by the Committee to Protect Journalists, the organization said in its year-end analysis. The record toll was driven in large part by the election-related slaughter of more than 30 media workers in the Philippine province of Maguindanao, the deadliest event for the press in CPJ history.

The fundamental principles of legality and due process have been abandoned, with security forces having unprecedented powers given by the head of state under this martial law.

The declaration of a state of Martial Law in Maguindanao sets a most dangerous precedent for the nation. Not since September 21, 1972 has there been any declaration of Martial Law, not even during the years of tumult under the Aquino, Estrada and, prior to this, the Arroyo regime. For the first time since 1972, the writ of habeas corpus has been suspended in an area in the Philippines.

The NUPL’s Committee for the Protection and Welfare of Lawyers said that the death of Attys. Brizuela and Oquendo brings the total number of lawyers and judges killed to 24 and 15, respectively, since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed power in 2001.

The brutal killing of 57 people in Maguindanao, including some 30 journalists, should be seen as a watershed moment for the Philippines, according to two United Nations human rights experts.

The November 23 Movement and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) invite you to take part in the International Day of Action against Impunity, a collective expression of outrage against the killings of journalists and innocent civilians in Maguindanao and the call for justice for all victims.

Commission on Human Rights: “Now that the people have done their part, it is our turn to do ours. It is the government’s turn to vindicate our people’s faith in our institutions, in our Constitution and laws.”

The brutal, indiscriminate mass murder on Monday in Ampatuan town, in Maguindanao province, raises the ultimate challenge of conscience. It carries the culture of impunity at work in this country to such levels of horror that, if it remains unpunished for long, can send the nation into an inexorable descent into absolute dehumanization.

The reason Monday’s incident became international news is because of the high number of victims killed all at once and because so many were journalists and women. Had the killings been spread out over weeks and months, very few outside of the province would have heard of it.

The 30 media workers comprise more than half of the 57 confirmed casualties of what is now known as the Maguindanao Massacre, according to a list compiled and verified by the Humanitarian and Fact-Finding Mission of the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists (FFFJ), a network of independent media organizations, including the PCIJ.

A week after the gruesome massacre that claimed 64 lives in Ampatuan, Maguindanao, various cause-oriented groups today will hold a March Against Impunity to demand justice for the victims. The groups will assemble at the University of Sto. Tomas before marching toward the Don Chino Roces Monument in Mendiola Bridge. Joining the march are journalists, lawyers, artists, human rights activists, women’s rights advocates, students and religious.

Saying that the ultimate responsibility for the climate of impunity rests with Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan today called on the president to step down and desist from pursuing public office in the 2010 elections.
Disclaimer | What you are reading is either a press release/ statement or a manifesto. These materials [...]

MASSACRE IN MINDANAO
STATEMENT BY THE SPOKESMAN
OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AND EUROPEAN AFFAIRS
(Paris, November 24, 2009)
France condemns in the strongest terms the heinous massacre perpetrated yesterday in the Philippine province of Maguindanao, which, according to the latest reports, has reached a total of forty-six victims, mostly women and journalists.
It expresses its sincere condolences to the [...]

“Maguindanao is mired in an atmosphere of impunity, the causes of which are not only traceable to the proliferation of warlords and private armies, but to systemic neglect by national authorities to control these private armies and their patrons,” says CHR chairman Leila de Lima. “There are national officials who must be held accountable, perhaps not directly for the murders last Monday, but for allowing warlordism to fester in Maguindanao and elsewhere.”