Journalists demand justice

MANILA, Philippines - Hundreds of journalists and human rights activists, who staged an indignation rally over the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao last week, yesterday pressed the Arroyo administration to immediately dismantle the “Ampatuan power base” in Maguindanao to ensure that justice will be served the victims.

Clad mostly in black shirts and carrying a mock coffin as well as placards calling for a stop to media killings, the protesters demanded the arrest of all suspects in the Nov. 23 massacre of mostly women and journalists in the troubled south.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary-general Renato Reyes Jr. said the Ampatuan power base in Maguindanao “will pose serious obstacles in the attainment of justice” for the victims.

“We cannot imagine an impartial trial where witnesses can come forward and public officials can perform their duties if the Ampatuan power base in Maguindanao is not dismantled. They remain very powerful and influential and will pose serious obstacles to the attainment of justice,” said Reyes.

The massacre victims, including 30 journalists and their staff, were in a convoy to cover Buluan, Maguindanao Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu’s filing of his intention to run for governor in the predominantly Muslim province when gunmen abducted and then butchered them on a nearby hill and buried them in mass graves.

Mangudadatu’s wife and sisters were among the dead.

The carnage drew worldwide condemnation, including from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and has highlighted the violent factionalism that plagues the volatile region and the deadly risk journalists take in covering it.

Media watchdogs say it was the world’s deadliest single assault on journalists.

“We call for justice,” Benny Antiporda, head of the National Press Club, said in a statement. “The whole world has shown its disgust over what happened. The media workers killed in the massacre were not armed.”

The protesters marched to Mendiola bridge near the presidential palace, stopping by the Chino Roces Monument, a symbol of press freedom.

They blamed President Arroyo for the “climate of impunity” and “reign of terror” in the country.

Bayan urged the government to replace all officials in the ARMM.

The “extremely powerful” Ampatuan family, a known political ally of President Arroyo, has claimed they were being subjected to trial by publicity. The main suspect, Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., son of Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., has been detained at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and faces multiple murder charges.

Meanwhile, there will be a mass burial for the 12 remaining unburied journalists on Dec. 3 at the Forest Lake Memorial Park in Apopong, General Santos City, according to Andy Cruz, chairman of the Maguindanao Massacre GenSan Media Committee.

He said there has been a problem in the availability of burial lots.

“But the memorial park assured us that they will resolve this immediately so as not to hamper the Dec. 3 burial,” Cruz said.

Remonde booed, heckled at rally

Tension erupted at the rally when President Arroyo’s spokesman Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, a former radio broadcaster, walked over to the protesters, whose path was blocked by barbed wire and police, to assure them that the government was doing everything to give justice to all victims.

But he was booed, heckled and hit by crumpled paper thrown by irate protesters. “The government will do everything to give justice for all,” Remonde, who was in black shirt and armband, told the protesters.

Meanwhile, a representative of the Malaysia-based Confederation of ASEAN journalists (CAJ) read a statement at the rally from CAJ president Norila Daud, who urged Arroyo to ensure all suspects are immediately apprehended, whoever they may be and wherever they may be hiding.

Meanwhile, the National Union of Peoples Lawyers (NUPL) and Union of Peoples Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM) yesterday also demanded the creation of an “independent and credible” special court that will handle the cases against the Ampatuans and those involved in the massacre to ensure a fair trial and swift delivery of justice.

They also declared Dec. 1 as Black Armband and Lawyer’s Outrage Day.

Two members of the NUPL and UPLM, lawyers Connie Brizuela and Cynthia Oquendo, were among those brutally killed.

A total of 15 judges and 26 lawyers have been killed since 2001, according to NUPL secretary-general and Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares.

International lawyers’s groups like the Belgium-based International Union of Peoples Lawyers (IAPL) and National Lawyers Guild of the United States (NLG-USA), have also denounced the Maguindanao massacre.

Meanwhile, child rights’ advocates too condemned the killing.

Sophia Garduce, spokesperson for the Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns, said President Arroyo owes much to the orphans “who are victims of her eight years of terror.”

“We have been witnesses to the suffering of children who were orphaned by political violence perpetrated by the state who is supposed to be their protector,” Garduce said in a statement.

Arming journalists on election beat okay with PNP

The Philippine National Police (PNP) supports the proposal to arm journalists who are covering the May 2010 polls in the wake of the Maguindanao massacre.

Chief Superintendent Ireno Bacolod, director of the PNP’s Civil Security Group, said they would welcome the proposal if it would be approved by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) which has the authority over security matters during the election period.

Earlier, Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. urged authorities to allow journalists assigned to cover election hotspots to carry firearms.

He expressed fear that more journalists might get hurt or killed as the elections draw near.

On the recommendation of the PNP, the Comelec approved the implementation of a total gun ban for the 2010 polls, to start in January 2010 and end in June 2010.

Under the gun ban only uniformed policemen and soldiers and members of other law enforcement agencies, on official duty, will be allowed to carry guns outside of their residences. With Rose Tamayo-Tesoro, AP, Mike Frialde, Sandy Araneta, Helen Flores