2010 November 23
PRESS STATEMENT
The members of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines deeply condemn the Maguindanao Massaacre as it counts one complete year this November 23.
A year after the gruesome massacre, no one has still been held accountable over the death of 57 individuals, of which 32 were members of the press. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the Ampatuan clan remain innocent of the hideous crime and the Aquino administration seems okay with these happenings.
It has been months since President Benigno Aquino III occupied Malacañang and promised to lead us to his “daang matuwid”. But given his promises to make the past regime accountable, the supposed straight road is a forked one nobody wants to take anymore.
If this is where this administration wants to lead us, we will make a new path on the streets with banners of rage held high. This is a reminder that justice in the Philippines remains corrupted. A complete year has passed but families of the victims have not seen any improvement on the case. Filipinos, especially the members of the press have fallen into the pit of injustice.
If President Aquino is really interested in making the past regime accountable, murderers would have been prosecuted long ago. If the administration is consistent in pursuing its daang matuwid, then it should have been more active in pursuing those responsible for the extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations.
The prevailing culture of impunity in our country shows how the government serves the interest not of the people but of the reigning few. In this predicament, CEGP will be among the people in their fight and will remain vigilant until justice is served.
Reference:
Trina Federis, National President
Posted by Bulatlat.com
