13 taon matapos Ampatuan massacre, katarungan sa 49 iba pang media killings hanap
MANILA, Philippines — Matapos ang Maguindanao Massacre noong 2009, nadagdagan pa ng higit 50 media workers ang pinatay sa ilalim ng administrasyon nina Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte — bagay na hinihingian ng hustisiya ngayon.
Ito ang ibinahagi ng grupong Karapatan, Miyerkules, kasabay ng ika-13 anibersaryo ng "deadliest attack on journalists" sa mundo na siyang kumitil sa buhay ng 58 mamamahayag.
"Recent history gives us ample proof that threats and attacks against journalists and the right to free speech have not abated, and have instead taken newer and more menacing forms," ayon sa grupong Karapatan Miyerkules.
"Since the Ampatuan Massacre of 2009, [49] more journalists have been killed — 23 under the Duterte regime which was openly hostile to the media, and three under the Marcos II regime."
Ayon sa human rights group, regular pa ring i-red tag at bansagang "terorista" ng gobyerno at security officials ang mga news organizations at peryodista. Dahil diyan, nagiging target pa sila ng diskriminasyon, harassment at murder.
Oktubre 2022 lang nang mapatay si Percy Lapid, komentarista sa radyo, na siyang kilala sa pagiging kritiko ng administrasyon nina Marcos Jr. at Duterte. Bukod pa 'yan sa nangyari sa editorial cartoonist na si Benharl Kahil nitong Nobyembre.
"Fuelling the culture of impunity that emboldens the attackers of free speech are old and new laws that pose various restraints on press freedom," sabi pa ng Karapatan.
"The antiquated laws in the Revised Penal Code that criminalize libel and oral defamation have been buttressed by a new 'cybercrime' law prescribing harsher punishments for criminal libel and granting authorities massive powers to shut down websites and monitor online information."
Dagdag peligro pa raw ang Section 9 ng Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 na inciting to terrorism, na siyang pumipigil sa paglalathala ng ilang pahayag, proklamasyon, sulatin, emblems at banners habang "malabo" ang depenisyon ng terorismo.
Nalalapit daw tuloy ang media practitioners sa "gawa-gawang" kaso, pagkakaaresto at takot sa media.
"Karapatan demands an end to the notorious combination of media killings and repressive laws being perpetrated by the State that magnifies the prevailing culture of impunity and keeps an ever-tightening stranglehold on press freedom," kanilang panapos.
Hindi pwede makalimot, dagdag convictions
Hinihikayat naman ngayon ng National Union of Journalists of the Philippines ang lahat na huwag kalimutan ang Maguindanao Massacre, ito kahit na meron nang 28 convictions para sa 57 counts ng murder. Bukod pa 'yan sa 15 convicted bilang "accessories."
Nadadagdagan pa rin kasi ang mga napapatunayang nagkasala sa ngayon.
"According to an update from the Office of the Press Secretary last week, an appeal by prosecutors has led to the conviction of another accessory, bringing the number of convicted to 44. Meanwhile, 83 accused in the murder cases are still at large," ayon sa NUJP.
"Since the decision in 2019, Andal Jr. and Zaldy have brought the conviction to the Court of Appeals. While this is within their right and is part of court processes, this also means the families face a longer wait for full justice as well as for compensation for the loved ones they lost on November 23, 2009."
Linggo lang nang alalanin uli ng mga pamilya kasama ng Justice Now ang kanilang panatang ipanawagan ang katarungan sa Ampatuan Massacre.
Parte nito ang pagkilala sa ika-58 biktima na si Reynaldo Momay, na sumama sa coverage noong araw na 'yon. Matatandaang nakuha ang kanyang pustiso sa massacre site.
"The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines joins them and the journalism community in this call. We offer them our solidarity and support and the commitment to continue following up and reporting on the case until the families get the full justice that they deserve," sabi pa nila.
"While we are saddened and enraged that the culture of impunity on attacks against journalists continues to reign, we take solace in the solidarity among our ranks and with other press freedom advocates."
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