Dying towriteAN UPDATE ON MEDIA KILLINGS IN THE PHILIPPINES

AND THE AMPATUAN MASSACRE CASE

Prepared for the International Day to End Impunity Campaign 2011and 2nd Anniversary Commemoration of the Massacre

Rowena C. Paraan, Secretary-General, National Union of Journalists of the Phils.

The figures

146 The number of journalists killed since 1986

145 The number of targeted killings

10 The number of cases where court convictions have been successful

0 The number of masterminds convicted

5 The number of work-related killings under President Benigno Aquino III

15 The number of active media court cases

Patterns (HOW)

• Victims are either on way to work or going home (regularity of route or movement)

• Victims sustain multiple gunshot wounds (shoot to kill)

• Assailants are usually two or more men riding in tandem on a motorcycle, usually has no plate number and wearing ski masks or helmets (more than one perpetrator)

• Victims received death threats prior to the incident (prior warning)

• Majority were radio reporters / commentators• Blocktimers?

• Majority were based in the provinces

• Involvement of military/police and local government executives

Patterns (WHO)

Patterns (INVESTIGATION)

• A strange definition of the word “solved”

• Cover-up/slow pace

The killing of journalists has been blamed on

• Journalists’ involvement in political and other conflicts

• Lack or inadequacy of training on the skills as well as ethical responsibilities and professional standards of journalism

• The weaknesses of the justice system, specially at the local level

• The consequent rarity of arrests, prosecution and conviction of killers and masterminds

58 The number of persons killed in the Ampatuan massacre

57 The number of bodies found32 The number of media persons killed1 Body remains missing, that of Reynaldo "Bebot" Momay 18 The number of relatives and supporters of Esmael Mangudadatu 2 Are lawyers 6 are passers-by

196 Is the total number of suspects93 Are in jail 103 Remain at large28 Suspects bore Ampatuan as

surname6  Ampatuans (Andal Sr., Andal Jr.,

Akmad, Zaldy, Sajid, Anwar) are in jail

2 The number of Ampatuans arraigned

55 The number of witnesses that have been presented, as of Oct. 10, 2011.

300 Witnesses are listed under the Prosecution

320 Witnesses are to be presented by Defense

104 Motions filed by defense as of today8 Motions for the judge to inhibit

560 The number of days it took before the Ampatuan assets were frozen

50,000 The amount offered to journalists for favorable stories on the Ampatuan case

25M The amount offered to families to withdraw from the case

Status: Bail proceedings

Factors that led to the Ampatuan massacre

• Political warlordism• Private armies• Corruption at the national and local levels• Impunity

Impact of killings

• Deaths• Chilling effect• Trauma• Disillusionment

• Greater corruption (in government and media)• Cliques/Groupings

REALIZATIONS• Court system – bias against the poor• Incompetence of the investigating

agencies• How the institutions are in protecting

the people (legislative, executive and judiciary)

• Media corruption

• Ampatuan massacre – elections, political warlordism, corruption, private armies

• Esperat – fertilizer scam, corruption, agriculture

• Somera – urban poor, land grabbing• Pala – death squads, EJKs• Ortega – destructive mining, corruption

of Malampaya funds

KILLINGS AND ISSUES

There can be no press freedom if journalists exist in conditions of corruption, poverty or fear

Fighting back

Immediate

Documentation of harassment, attacks

Safety training Safety protocols Organize! Link up! Public awareness International campaign

Long-term

Fight impunity Promote media literacy Launch a comprehensive ethics

campaign Work to improve economic

conditions of journalists

The end