This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. VI, No. 12, May 3, 2006
On World Press Freedom Day
Journalists decry killings,
vow to fight for press freedom
Posted 1:41 p.m. May 3, 2006
Bulatlat A “growing movement” of Filipino journalists
vowed to continue the fight for the people’s right to information amidst threats
against media. In a press conference Nicholas Cervantes, 66, a columnist of a
local newspaper in Surigao province, was shot dead in Mandaluyong City in Metro
Manila on Tuesday. NUJP spokesperson Jose Torres Jr. said Cervantes’s killing
could be linked to his giving assistance to the Bureau of Internal Revenue in
running after tax evaders. AFIMA spokesperson Allan Encarnacion said
Cervantes is the 77th journalist killed after the ouster of the
Marcos Dictatorship in 1986. Torres said their groups compose a “growing
movement” that is uniting journalists to defend press freedom, just wages and
the welfare of media workers. Benny Antiporda of ARMED called their ranks
“the Freedom Fighters of the new generation.” Former journalist and now legislator Satur
Ocampo called on the media to take inspiration from the “mosquito press” spawned
by media repression under the Marcos Dictatorship. In a message distributed at the press
conference, Ocampo said the media should “remember and learn from the epic
fight” of journalists like Antonio Zumel, Joaquin Roces, Teodoro Locsin Sr.,
Ernesto Granada, Antonio Nieva and Jose Burgos Jr. “They did not surrender to the
dictatorship. They fought its lies… merged with the more powerful mass
movements of common people,” Ocampo said. He said that such “dedicated
journalists” helped fought the Dictatorship as they “reported directly to the
people, put the people’s actions and movements at the top of the news.” Ocampo, a representative of Bayan Muna
Party-list, was reporter and later on editor of the pre-Martial Law Manila
Times. He was detained by Marcos for 12 years. Ocampo and four other
partylist representatives have been charged with rebellion and are currently
under protective custody of the House of Representatives at the Batasan Complex.
The media groups will hold a mass and light
candles at the grounds of the National Press Club in Intramuros, Manila, at 5pm.
Bulatlat © 2006 Bulatlat
■
Alipato Publications Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.