JOURNALIST KILLINGS
The Philippines is considered one of the most dangerous and worst places for journalists to work because the Philippines is among the top seven countries in South East Asia in where the threat of censorship, immunity, and most importantly safety are constantly being challenged.
As of December 2019, a broadcast journalist was killed in Bicol, resulting in the addition of one more to the death toll of an already alarming number of dead journalists ever since President Rodrigo Duterte came into presidency.
According to Faye Orellana a reporter for INQUIRER, since President Rodrigo Duterte ascended into office and started his term in mid-2016, 13 journalists have already died. Eleven of the dead journalists died prior to President Rodrigo Dutertes second year in office. The Chaiperson of the National Union of Journalists (NUJP) Nonoy Espina stated that this recent journalist deaths is the highest number of murdered journalists in the first two years of any Philippine president in office. There has been an alarming rise in crime associated with political media. It’s reported that there has been 128 cases of threats and attacks against the media press from June 30, 2016 to April 30, 2019. Out of the 128 cases stated, 89 cases were recorded in Luzon, 26 cases in Mindanao, and 13 cases in Visayas.
I know that the Philippines has always had history and will always have history associated with different kinds of media violence especially in such a politically heavy climate like our country in where journalists and others alike are continuously threatened because they have the courage and ability to show people the truth. People always associate media journalism as the main sword of democracy but I believe that because of the media climate in our country journalism is and will always be different, because of the constant abuse journalists and other media reporters get not only from political parties but also from our very own government. According to Faye Orellana, a few days after President Rodrigo Duterte was elected he was asked about how he feels about the rising media killings in our country only a few days into his presidential term. He responded with “Just because you’re a journalist, you are not exempted from assassination, if you’re a son of a bitch,” This quote alone from our current president unfortunately sets the tone for the media environment of our country for his presidential term in ways that severely danger different media sources like journalists because they usually work in the frontlines of different dangerous media environments. Our government has shown no effort in dealing with the rise of journalist deaths and with statements like the one President Duterte issued, I personally believe that if we want our media sources like journalists to have the protection and freedom they deserve, we unfortunately can’t depend upon a government and government leader that has done nothing but also accuse journalists of crimes just to destroy their credibility.
Journalists have also become an indispensable source of unbiased news especially with different media sources like public radio broadcasts constantly being biased to different point of views which typically come from corruption. Living in the 21st century has definitely benefited news outlets in providing news in the most opportune and convenient way possible. I know that this new media institutions and systems will be detrimental in providing news with unfiltered and true news especially to journalists who need media outlets in where they can share the information they have collected without some potentially dangerous third parties coming and manipulating their work.
The rise of journalist’s deaths means that there are people who are continuously pursuing the truth even if it has the potential to cost them their lives and I only hope that this journalists get the recognition they deserve. I distinctly remember hearing one of this journalist deaths in the radio while my family was dining. I clearly remember the radio anchor saying that a news journalist was reportedly shot by unidentified gunmen and the reaction of my father to the news always stayed as a perfect reflection of the social view of people to the violent acts in the Philippines especially to media. My father said “There goes another one”, I remember him saying that line so calmly and I realized how people in our country are so desensitized to media violence especially to political media violence as if it was a social norm. The climate of media in our country with this presidential administration is unfortunate but I know that it is only for a matter of time. I believe that the risks journalists take in our country are detrimental in shaping our political economy and it is unfortunate that 13 of them have been unnecessarily punished for doing their job. The government maybe ignoring the constant abuse of media sources like journalists in our country but the people are not. Numerous sources have already surfaced sharing and providing information about the events related to the rising number in journalists deaths. Social media has certainly been a huge tool in spreading awareness about this deaths. I hope that the continuation of spreading the awareness of this deaths will remind people the importance of democracy especially in media and put the people who challenge this democracy behind bars.
Sources: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1013357/22-journalists-killed-in-ph-under-duterte-administration-nujp, https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1140825/what-went-before-13-journalists-killed-under-duterte-admin, https://globalnation.inquirer.net/172128/philippines-among-worst-countries-to-be-a-journalist-in-southeast-asia-report
