The fallen Fourth

Few things hit as close to home as when people discuss media killings. Being a member of the press myself, I am just as indignant and outraged as the next person. Media is the Fourth Estate — the societal or political force whose influence, despite being deeply intertwined with the government and the clergy, is not consistently or officially recognized.

Earliest use of this term has been attributed to Whig statesman Edmund Burke who used it in a parliamentary debate in 1787 on the opening up of press reporting of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. He said that there were Three Estates in Parliament, but in the Reporters’ Gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more important far than they all. Thomas Carlyle, a Scotch professor and essayist, wrote in his work, French Revolution, “A Fourth Estate, of Able Editors, springs up; increases and multiplies. Irrepressible, incalculable.”       

The media is a formidable force, no matter where in the world you are, or what sort of milieu you find yourself in. We are glued to the media in an almost obsessive manner, using the news, at times, as ‘infotainment’. Natural of course, when one thinks about it. Freedom of speech and of the press are the cornerstones of modern democracy. Some would go as far as to posit that freedom of speech is the mark of an advanced culture. Why then, does it seem that there are those who refuse to acknowledge the dignity and influence of the Fourth Estate?

A recent case is sweeping through media ranks, gathering enough whispers to fill a cathedral. It is about Nestor Bedolido, a media man killed in Digos, Davao del Sur, mid-2010. He was a former editor of the Digos Times, as well as a consultant to various tabloids and magazines. Bedolido was shot six times in broad daylight in the town of Digos while he was buying cigarettes at a corner store.

The perpetrator of this heinous crime, Voltaire Mirafuentes, has come out and confessed — but as it now turns out, Bedolido’s slaying is much more than a simple ‘hit’. As with anything having to do with the media, there appears to be something sensational hiding behind the printed word.

According to Mirafuentes, he was merely the executioner. The orders came from someone else, allegedly from a prominent provincial government official. Mirafuentes was in grief for the recent loss of his parents, and by his account, the official purportedly manipulated him to believe that Bedolido was responsible for his parents’ deaths. Enraged by this revelation, Mirafuentes did not think twice about getting a gun given by the official plus a few henchmen to carry out his vengeance.

Once done, an enlightened Mirafuentes regretted his act, went to the police and brought the case to the attention of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP). Early this week, the NUJP filed a Reply-Affidavit, refuting the allegations of the government official’s counter-affidavit and his defense of alibi. NUJP legal counsel Atty. Adel Tamano said of the case: “This is one of the most unique criminal cases on media killings because the evidence is so clear. In most killings of journalists, there are no witnesses and, hence, it is very difficult for the cases to move forward. However, in this case, the killer has turned himself over to the police, executed an affidavit admitting his guilt, and has stated explicitly who ordered him to kill Nestor Bedolido.” Now, the NUJP and others concerned with the flagrant disregard that people have for the lives of the media have called on the Aquino administration, through Sec. de Lima, to quickly and impartially resolve the case. They are also hopeful that the taskforce proposed by P-Noy to tackle the problem of media killings in the country be organized soonest so that justice may be served.

Others in office are also galvanizing themselves to put a stop to these killings. Sen. Loren Legarda introduced a senate bill in mid-2010 that proposed the courts rule the killing of members of broadcast and print media in the performance of their duties as a crime of murder under Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code.              

From the stands, one can only hope that the bastions of truth who put themselves in the line of fire everyday be given the justice they deserve. The Fourth Estate is an integral part of the checks and balances that modern democracy is hinged upon; it guards public interest, and, given the advances in technology, it is a venue for citizens to air their concerns. As such, it should be given the respect it deserves. I send my deepest condolences to the Fallen of the Fourth Estate and their families. May this madness end soon.

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Our deepest condolences to the family of Gen. Thelmo Yllano Cunanan, who passed away early Tuesday morning. Gen. Cunanan was a member of Class 1961 of West Point Military Academy; former Ambassador and Lt. General; former president of PNOC, and former chair of SSS. He was NAMFREL operations chief, 1999 Indonesian elections, and chair of the Humanitarian Assistance Mission to East Timor.

He is survived by his wife, columnist Belinda Cunanan; children Christine and Keiichi, Buddy and Ming, and Conrad and Myra, and grandchildren Tamako and Christopher.

His remains lie at the Heritage Memorial Chapel in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, where a special mass by Fr. Percy Coching, SVD, will be held at 8 o’clock tonight. Burial will be on Saturday after the 1 p.m. internment mass also at Heritage Memorial.

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My e-mail:[email protected].