IFJ declares int'l day of action for Filipino press safety
Baguio Media Wear Black to Protest Killings

Members of the media in Baguio City wore black T-shirts as their contribution to the nationally- coordinated observation of the international day of protest against media killings in the country.

BY KIM QUITASOL
Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat

Journalists, including former colleague Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo (extreme left), release doves as part of an activity for the International Day of Action for Press Freedom and the Safety of Filipino Journalists, Quezon Memorial Circle, Feb. 22. PHOTO BY ILANG-ILANG QUIJANO

BAGUIO CITY (246 kms. North of Manila) – Members of the media here wore black T-shirts on February 23 as their contribution to the nationally-coordinated observatrion of the international day of protest against media killings in the country.

Arthur Allad-iw, secretary-general of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) Baguio-Benguet chapter, said the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) declared Feb. 23 as an International Day of Action against Impunity and for the Safety of Filipino Journalists.

“This is fitting because Feb. 23 is the eve of the anniversary of the first journalist killed under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. It is also the eve of the anniversary of Proclamation 1017 which placed the country under a state of national emergency and resulted in the raid of a newspaper, shut down of critical radio programs and threats of closure of networks and newspapers,” the IFJ statement read.

Even the photojournalists covering senatorial sorties in this city wore black shirts to express their protest against the continued killings of journalists, said Artemio Dumlao, NUJP national auditor and Baguio-Benguet chapter chairman.

Dumlao added that 50 media practitioners have been killed under the Arroyo regime. The latest victim was Hernani Pastolero, an editor of the Lightning Courier in Sultan Kudarat. Dumlao noted that most of the killings of journalists are unsolved.     

Allad-iw also shared that other NUJP chapters, media organizations and practitioners in other parts of the country also joined the protest. The NUJP national leadership had enjoined journalists and press freedom advocates to participate in a Walk for Press Freedom to express their concern over the unsolved murders of journalists.

The IFJ represents over 500,000 journalists in more than 115 countries. NUJP is affiliated with the IFJ. Northern Dispatch / Posted by Bulatlat 

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