Legarda wants special court for media killings

CEBU, Philippines – Senator Loren Legarda has proposed the creation of special courts that will only hear murder cases involving journalists and other members of the press.

The senator, who was in Cebu City yesterday, explained that creating special courts that will be tasked to hear murder cases or any attempts against the lives of the members of the media will result to the speedy disposition of cases.

The reports said that 53 journalists, including radio commentators and news photographers, have been killed in the Philippines since 2001 and some of these cases are still pending in various courts.

It said that 33 of them were killed for reporting or commenting on a public issue while the motives for the rest vary from undetermined to personal grudges or involvement in local politics.

One of the judges in Cebu City said that designating certain court branches to hear cases involving mediamen can be decided only by the Supreme Court. The judge also said assigning a special court to hear only cases involving mediamen might be a waste of resources.

“Dili man gud daghan ang mga kaso sa mga media nga gipatay. Usa sa mga isyu unya kon asa ibutang ang special court, anhi ba sa Cebu?,” the judge said.

The hearings of some of the cases involving the killing of journalists, like that of print journalist Edgar Damalerio in Pagadian City and columnist Marlene Esperat in Sultan Kudarat had been transferred and successfully prosecuted in Cebu City.

But a lawyer also commented that transferring the hearing of cases to other place could be expensive for both the complainants and respondents who will be forced to spend much money for their trip, food and accommodations everytime there will be a hearing of the case.

Meanwhile, Legarda yesterday said she is in favor of reviving the imposition of the death penalty for those who will commit heinous crimes.

More than a thousand of death convicts were spared when the government repealed the Republic Act 7659, or the Death Penalty Law, and their penalties were downgraded to life imprisonment. – Rene U. Borromeo/BRP (THE FREEMAN)