EDITORIAL - Third most dangerous

Twelve journalists were killed in the Philippines last year, bringing to 26 the number of media workers murdered since President Aquino assumed power in 2010. The number also made the country rank third, behind only Iraq and Somalia, as the most dangerous in the world for journalists, according to New York-based Human Rights Watch.

In its annual report on the state of human rights around the world, Human Rights Watch cited the repeated pronouncements from the Philippine government to uphold human rights, but added that the commitment has failed to go beyond rhetoric. Suspects have been arrested in only six of the cases against journalists since 2010, HRW noted. It also cited the continuing cases of kidnapping, torture and enforced disappearances, with few perpetrators being brought to justice.

Many of the deadly attacks on journalists are suspected to be the handiwork of state forces and influential politicians, and masterminds are rarely caught. As human rights and press freedom advocacy groups have observed, this failure indicates a lack of political will that has bred impunity, guaranteeing that more murders will be committed.

President Aquino, the only son of two democracy icons, has less than three years left to create a safer environment for the press. For an administration that has given priority to the battle against corruption, creating that safe environment should be high on the agenda.

Free reporting is essential in promoting accountability and transparency. Even threats and harassment of journalists can discourage reporting that promotes good governance. With mass media permanently silenced and most of the perpetrators remaining scot-free, public officials will believe they are free to abuse power and engage in corruption. They will believe they are free to steal, and free to kill.