Philippine police must act to stem journalist murders

(source: Committee to Protect Journalists – New York)

New York, June 29, 2009–Police in the Philippines must step up investigations into journalist killings following the shooting death of radio commentator Jonathan Petalvero on Saturday, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Petalvero is the fourth Philippine journalist killed this month, the third to be targeted for murder.

A masked gunman late Saturday shot and killed Petalvero in a restaurant in Bayagun, a small town on the southern island of Mindanao, according to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and international news reports. The gunman fled the scene on a motorcycle, according to the reports. The commentator, who hosted a radio program on DXFM station, was declared dead on arrival at the local hospital, the reports said. (The journalists union noted that some news reports gave conflicting dates for the attack.)

The Philippine national police have established Task Force USIG to investigate media killings in the Philippines, which occur frequently and with near total impunity, according to CPJ research. continue…

Radioman shot in Quezon Province

A broadcaster was shot in Quezon province late Sunday afternoon, July 5, 2009, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines chapter in the province said.

According to Delfin Mallari of the NUJP-Quezon, Pablo Casañada, a commentator of dzLT-AM in Sariaya town who uses the name Bill Tesalona in his broadcasts, was shot by a lone gunman while he was drinking with friends in his house at around 5:45 p.m.

Quoting Sariaya police chief, Superintendent Danilo Morzo, Mallari said Tesalona suffered “minor wounds” in the face and chest from a single shotgun blast fired by suspect Arturo Remo, who was rushed and mauled by the broadcaster’s drinking buddies.

Remo was brought to a local hospital while Tesalona has been admitted to the Quezon Medical Center in Lucena. The broadcaster said he did not know Remo or why the suspect wanted to kill him.

Morzo said initial police investigation indicated the attack was “not work related.”

IFJ-NUJP Media Safety Office

Radio journalist murdered, fourth this year

Reporters Without Borders is outraged by the fatal shooting of radio presenter Jonathan Petalvero in a restaurant in Bayugan, in the southern province of Agusan del Sur. Petalvero hosted a programme that supported a local politician.

“It is too soon to say whether this murder was linked to the victim’s work as a journalist, but the authorities must quickly assign enough personnel to the case to be able to identify the killer and the instigators,” Reporters Without Borders said. “Three other radio hosts have been killed in the Philippines since the start of the year. That is more than in Iraq in the same period.”

Journalistic sources said Petalvero was shot in the head on 27 June, although police statements gave the day of his murder as 25 June. Aged 43, he hosted the programme “Balita at Komentaryo” on radio DXFM “Frenster Radio.”

Nothing is so far known about the motive, which may have been political. The gunman was masked and was probably a hired killer. Radio DXFM is owned by Bayugan’s current deputy mayor, Genesis Efren, who plans to run for mayor in elections scheduled for May 2010.

A district councillor, Petalvero had planned to run for municipal councillor or deputy mayor representing Efren’s party in the elections.

Broadcaster shot dead in Agusan

The victim, 43-year-old Jonathan Petalvero, sustained a lone gunshot wound on the head from a .45 caliber pistol and was brought to the New Bayugan Doctors Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

News reports state the killing occurred on June 27 but PO2 Alan Conson of Bayugan police said their records show that it happened on June 25. Another account states that the killing happened on June 26.

Petalvero, who hosted the morning radio program “Balita at Komentaryo” in the local station dxFM “Frenster Radio,” was also a barangay (village) councilor.

According to PO2 Alan Conson, Petalvero was in a restaurant in the town of Bayugan at around 7:30 in the evening when the suspect came in and fired at him. Witnesses say the suspect then boarded a motorcycle and sped away.

Conson said there are no leads yet as to the motives for the killing or its mastermind. No sketch of the suspect has yet been released as witnesses say the gunman was wearing a ski mask, he added.

Radio station dxFM is owned by Bayugan Vice Mayor Genesis Efren who, according to reports, plans to run for city mayor in the 2010 elections against the son of incumbent Mayor Magdalena Asis.

Initial reports also state Petalvero was planning to run for either city council or vice mayor under Efren’s political party.

Around 60 journalists held by army in Maguindanao for over an hour

Some 60 journalists from Manila and Mindanao were held for more than an hour this morning in Guindolongan, Maguindanao by elements of the Bravo Company of the 46th Infantry Battalion.

The journalists were on their way from Datu Piang to Cotabato in their second day of the three-day media coverage of the state of evacuees in Mindanao displaced by the continuing conflict between the government and the Moro islamic Liberation Front.

According to NUJP Vice Chair Nonoy Espina, who was among the journalists participating in the coverage, their convoy was stopped by the soldiers at Brgy. Bagan in Guindolongan as allegedly ordered by 601st Infantry Brigade commander Col. Medardo Geslani.

Reports state that Geslani later confirmed that he ordered his troops to stop all media personnel from entering the area and escort them to the headquarters, to which the journalists objected.

Reports further state that other journalists were wondering why only civilians were allowed to pass through without any explanation.

Geslina later explained to the Inquirer that his instructions were only for the purpose of ensuring the safety of the journalists and not intended to halt the fact-finding mission, saying that journalists are “vulnerable and potential targets of some armed groups.”

According the Espina, the journalists were held since 8 am and released only around past 9 am.

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Some 60 journalists from Manila and Mindanao were held for more than an hour this morning in Guindolongan, Maguindanao by elements of the Bravo Company of the 46th Infantry Battalion.

The journalists were on their way from Datu Piang to Cotabato in their second day of the three-day media coverage of the state of evacuees in Mindanao displaced by the continuing conflict between the government and the Moro islamic Liberation Front.

According to NUJP Vice Chair Nonoy Espina, who was among the journalists participating in the coverage, their convoy was stopped by the soldiers at Brgy. Bagan in Guindolongan as allegedly ordered by 601st Infantry Brigade commander Col. Medardo Geslani.

Reports state that Geslani later confirmed that he ordered his troops to stop all media personnel from entering the area and escort them to the headquarters, to which the journalists objected.

Reports further state that other journalists were wondering why only civilians were allowed to pass through without any explanation.

Geslina later explained to the Inquirer that his instructions were only for the purpose of ensuring the safety of the journalists and not intended to halt the fact-finding mission, saying that journalists are “vulnerable and potential targets of some armed groups.”

According the Espina, the journalists were held since 8 am and released only around past