The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today challenged presidential candidates to take a stand on the continuing killings of journalists and the cause of bringing the perpetrators and masterminds to justice.
The IFJ also asked the government to set up “”a dedicated website should be set up to publish all court documents and proceedings, and broadcasts of the massacre trial must be permitted.”
Reacting to the Department of Justice decision to exculpate two Ampatuans suspected of being behind the Maguindanao massacre that resulted in the single biggest mass killing of journalists, the IFJ said the candidates should “make a public commitment to overturn the country’s culture of impunity for the killing of journalists and to observe and respect the independence of the judiciary”.
In a statement, IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park lamented the DOJ decision:
Less than a month before national elections on May 10, and five months after the massacre, this sudden announcement is alarming for what it says about the commitment of power-holders to end the culture of impunity for the killing of journalists.
Park said that the IFJ believes the decision, made by the Philippines’ Acting Secretary for Justice, Alberto Agra, suggests political interference in the judicial process.
The IFJ leader also urged the DOJ to “ensure that all court proceedings regarding the Maguindanao massacre are transparent and that the public is permitted to scrutinise the conduct of the trial”.
Park noted that the Ampatuan family is “known for its support of the government of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and for involvement in voting irregularities that benefited President Arroyo in 2004 and 2007″.
According to Park, the presidential candidates should “disclose what steps they will take to ensure that the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippines National Police are fully trained in understanding their responsibility to provide safety and security for journalists, in accord with the Government’s obligations under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1738″.