Dumaguete media condemn massacre of 12 journalists covering election process in Maguindanao

Dumaguete City (26 November) — “The working journalists and broadcasters in Dumaguete City and the province of Negros Oriental under the Dumaguete Press Club, Inc and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas chapter, have come up with a pooled editorial, condemning in the strongest terms possible, the indiscriminate killing of 12 young journalists and broadcasters last Sunday in Maguindanao by elements of political groups who were ambushed and massacred among the 35 other civilians, who were killed in what was described as the most heinous political massacre in the history of Philippine elections.”

Thus said a group of local mediamen here who call themselves “The Working Journalists of Dumaguete.”

The rest of the group’s press staement follows:

“KILLED IN LINE OF DUTY: Specifically, the Dumaguete group of journalists and broadcasters mourn the death of their colleagues in the working media who were mercilessly killed in line of duty. They were :

“Ian Subang of Dadiangas Times; Leah Dalmacio of Forum; Gina dela Cruz and Maritess Cablitas of Today; Henry Araneta of DZRH; Andy Teodoro of Mindanao Inquirer; Nening Montano of RGMA ; Bong Reblando of Manila Bulletin; Joy Duhay, Victor Nunez, Macmac Ariola and Jimmy Cabillo all of UNTV.

“Dumaguete Press Club president Florence Baesa said :
Hardly has the election season begun, when among those killed were prospective candidates who were on their way to file their certificates of candidacies, in the legitimate exercise of their right and duty of suffrage. They were mercilessly killed while on their way to perform a civic duty.

“Dumaguete Press Club chairman Emeritus Ely Dejaresco said:
We condemn all forms of political vendetta especially in Mindanao, which act does not even have an iota of justification in violation of the Rule of Law. Those people responsible for the crime, regardless of their reasons, have no place nor moral ascendancy to hold public office. Under state of emergency in Maguindanao, \ we, the journalists and broadcasters of Dumaguete, demand in the most vocal terms possible, the immediate if not speedy arrest of the perpetrators of this dastardly crime, which has no place at all in a civilized society.

“KBP Chapter president Roy Bustillo said:
The use of violence in attaining their political ends simply indicate their inability and lack of civility in enforcing the laws of the land once elected. We therefore demand that those involved should be quickly identified and charged by our law enforcers. And as such, even in the pendency of their cases, should not be allowed to run for public office until their innocence is proven otherwise.

“Bandilyo Anchorwoman Indira Riquiron said:
It is significant to note that this kind of heinous and dastardly political brand of murderous vendetta happen only in Mindanao. It has not happened anywhere in the Visasyas, nor in Luzon with 47 killed except in the plaza Miranda bombing in Manila, which prompted the late Marcos to suspend civil liberties, and which incident in Maguindanao, also prompted the declaration of the State of emergency,

“Metro Post Editor Alex Pal said:
We urge the Comelec to suspend elections in violent prone areas of the country. We urge all the branches of the police and armed forces to remain neutral and a-political before, during and even after the election period.

“Finally, Power91 News Director Bing Aguilar said:
And if the perpetrators of the Maguindanao massacre are not brought to justice, charged and convicted in the courts of law, people will have every reason to fear, in that such unsolved murderous political vendetta might even trigger other deadlier forms of electoral violence as the election season has started its countdown.

“SIGNED BY DUMAGUTE WORKING JOURNALISTS: NOV. 25, 2009.” (PIA)