Palace: We don’t condone killings of journalists

Malacañang yesterday said it is working for journalists’ welfare and press freedom in the country, disproving an international group’s claim that Philippine authorities have failed to stop a continuing wave of anti-media violence in the country.

"We do not condone a culture of violence. We have resolved some cases involving journalist killings at the investigation level and prosecutions are underway," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said in a statement yesterday.

The Palace was reacting to a report by Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF or Reporters Without Borders) that 2006 was a bad year for press freedom in the Philippines.

The international group reported that 16 media people were killed in Asia last year, with Sri Lanka and the Philippines topping the list. The group said in its annual report released Thursday that "murders, assaults, arrests, abusive lawsuits and censorship were the hallmark of 2006" in the Philippines.

At least 328 journalists were arrested and 517 physically assaulted or threatened, the report said.

In the same report, RSF tagged First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo as the "new enemy" of Filipino journalists after he lodged numerous defamation suits against Filipino writers, editors and publishers critical of the administration of his wife, President Arroyo.

The report noted that the Philippines, where six journalists were killed, had arrested and convicted murder suspects in some cases.

But it said Philippine authorities failed to stop a wave of anti-media violence, and criticized a number of lawsuits filed against media by Mr. Arroyo. — Aurea Calica