EDITORIAL - Ever-growing list

By most accounts, the death of Fernando Solijon on Thursday night last week was related to his work as a radio commentator of dxLS Love Radio in Iligan City. Solijon, who had been critical of alleged corruption and rising criminality in the city, had reportedly received numerous death threats by phone and mail shortly before he was gunned down as he was boarding his car.

If the killing is established to be work-related, it would make Solijon the 159th journalist to be murdered in line with his work since democracy was restored in this country in 1986. Solijon’s widow said the threats against him intensified during the elections, when he criticized candidates for various local government positions.

Even with many potential brains in the murder, police can still zero in on the two gunmen. Witnesses said the two parked their motorcycle beside Solijon’s car and waited for him for about three hours as he enjoyed drinks with some colleagues.

It has been pointed out often enough that catching murderers is the best deterrent to further attacks on journalists and activists. Democratic Philippines has built an unsavory reputation as one of the most dangerous and “murderous” countries for journalists, competing with Iraq in the impunity index.

About two-thirds of the fatal attacks on journalists since 1986 occurred in Mindanao. This has been attributed to the proliferation of political kingpins in Mindanao who control every step of the criminal justice system in their jurisdictions. Life is cheap in many areas of Mindanao, with warlords able to buy not only the services of guns-for-hire but also the assurance of the assassins’ silence in case of capture.

Every unsolved murder emboldens more attacks. As long as crooks see that they can get away with murder and that crime pays, the list of executed journalists will keep growing longer.