'Noynoy should act on media killings'
Posted by unang apluma on Friday, September 3, 2010
AN ORGANIZATION of provincial media practitioners has strongly condemned the murder of a local newspaper publisher in Nueva Ecija even as it pressed the Aquino government to take the necessary steps to protect members of the fourth estate.
"As we condemn in the strongest possible terms the killing of Edilberto Cruz, we call on the Aquino government to take the necessary measures to show that it is serious in its commitment to protect journalists," said Ismael Amigo, national president of Unang Alyansa ng Pambansa at Pamprobinsiyang Lupon at Ugnayan ng Makatao at Maka-Diyos na mga Mamamahayag or 1st-APLUMA.
Cruz, publisher-editor of local paper Salida, was the third journalist killed since Aquino assumed the presidency on June 30.
Last July 3, Radyo Natin Tabuk reporter-commentator Jose Daguio, 75, was shot dead in his home in Tabuk in Kalinga province — the first media fatality under Aquino's watch.
A week later, Bicol broadcaster Miguel Belen was shot and wounded in an ambush. Belen died last weekend at a Bicol hospital.
"Without a concrete action from the Aquino government, violence against media will continue,” stressed Amigo, who also reiterated his call on fellow journalists to exercise self-restraint in the performance of their duties.
Amigo further said that media practitioners, in the real sense, “should be responsible in delivering the facts to the public, especially now that some public figures are resorting to violent means to get even or to exact revenge”.
“Press freedom is not absolute so we should get our facts straight, be objective and not use our jobs for personal reasons,” Amigo advised.
Cruz was driving a motorcycle with plate no. 5359-CU when the suspect appeared from nowhere and shot the victim with a short firearm successively at about 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
The victim was rushed to the nearby MV Gallego Cabanatuan City Hospital but later died due to three gunshot wounds, police said.
"As we condemn in the strongest possible terms the killing of Edilberto Cruz, we call on the Aquino government to take the necessary measures to show that it is serious in its commitment to protect journalists," said Ismael Amigo, national president of Unang Alyansa ng Pambansa at Pamprobinsiyang Lupon at Ugnayan ng Makatao at Maka-Diyos na mga Mamamahayag or 1st-APLUMA.
Cruz, publisher-editor of local paper Salida, was the third journalist killed since Aquino assumed the presidency on June 30.
Last July 3, Radyo Natin Tabuk reporter-commentator Jose Daguio, 75, was shot dead in his home in Tabuk in Kalinga province — the first media fatality under Aquino's watch.
A week later, Bicol broadcaster Miguel Belen was shot and wounded in an ambush. Belen died last weekend at a Bicol hospital.
"Without a concrete action from the Aquino government, violence against media will continue,” stressed Amigo, who also reiterated his call on fellow journalists to exercise self-restraint in the performance of their duties.
Amigo further said that media practitioners, in the real sense, “should be responsible in delivering the facts to the public, especially now that some public figures are resorting to violent means to get even or to exact revenge”.
“Press freedom is not absolute so we should get our facts straight, be objective and not use our jobs for personal reasons,” Amigo advised.
Cruz was driving a motorcycle with plate no. 5359-CU when the suspect appeared from nowhere and shot the victim with a short firearm successively at about 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
The victim was rushed to the nearby MV Gallego Cabanatuan City Hospital but later died due to three gunshot wounds, police said.