MANILA, Philippines - Isang malaking dagok sa kalayaan sa pamamahayag ang pagkaka-absuwelto ng Department of Justice kay ex-Palawan Governor Joel Reyes at marami pang iba na suspek sa pamamaslang sa environmentalist at brodkaster na si Gerry Ortega noong Enero 24.
Ito ang pahayag ng Alyansa ng Mamamahayag sa Palawan Inc. (APAMAI) at National Union of Journalists (Palawan chapter) kaugnay ng pagbasura ng DOJ sa pagsasampa ng kaso laban kay Reyes at iba pang mga suspek.
“The recent decision of the Department of Justice rejecting the filing of criminal charges against former Palawan governor Joel T. Reyes and several others for the January 24 murder of Dr. Gerry Ortega is a stunning blow to press freedom in this country. The three-man prosecutors’ panel demonstrated a patent bias for the accused, completely discarding the evidence that establishes probable cause to let the proper courts try this case,” anang pahayag ng APAMAI at UNJP.
Sa pagsasawalang-saysay sa testimonya ng principal suspect na nagdawit kay Reyes sa krimen, pinanigan agad ng DOJ ang akusado at pinawalang-halaga ang mga ebidensyang isinampa laban dito.
“We challenge Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, on whose watch this travesty of justice has befallen, to reject this clear attempt to whitewash a murdered journalist’s case,” anang dalawang samahan ng pamamahayag sa joint statement.
Nanawagan din ang dalawang grupo sa ibang media organizations na makiisa sa pakikibaka laban sa mga nagaganap na media killings sa bansa.
“We call on our fellow media organizations to stand strongly with us in this struggle. Together, and guided by what is right and fair, we can end this culture of impunity that has continued to inflict violence among the working press” anila.