MANILA, Philippines - The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom condemned yesterday the recent killing of a Filipino radio broadcaster and called for an investigation into his death.
“It is important that the authorities conduct a serious investigation into this killing and ensure that the perpetrators are punished for their crime,” UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director General Irina Bokova said.
A block timer on dxND radio, Eddie Apostol was a former town councilor who co-hosted a weekly program about issues concerning indigenous people and science in Maguindanao.
He was found dead on Sept. 1 near the town of Sultan sa Barongis.
Forty-eight journalists and media workers, including Apostol, have been killed in the country since 2008.
Bokova also condemned the killing of Hang Serei Oudom in Cambodia.
“This is the first murder of a journalist in Cambodia in a long time and I trust that the Cambodian authorities will do all in their power to bring those responsible for this crime to justice,” she said.
Bokova said crimes against media practitioners must be brought to justice to prevent a climate of fear from constricting journalists’ ability to claim their human and professional right to freedom of expression.