ANOTHER JOURNALIST SHOT DEAD; 4TH IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS

Another Filipino journalist has been killed, the fourth to have been murdered in less than two weeks and the sixth this year.

Fernando Consignado, 50, a correspondent of Radio Veritas based in Nagcarlan, Laguna, was found dead inside his house Thursday. Police theorized he might have been killed the day before. Police said Consignado was shot in the head.

Dennis Geron, coordinator and advisor of Radio Veritas's pool of volunteer reporters, told the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) that Consignado was a vegetable farmer who also reports on news in his community.

"I trained and supervised him for five years and I had no problem with his reporting," Geron said.

Police are still investigating the motives for the murder, but Geron said that two years ago, Consignado exposed anomalies in projects in his community in Nagcarlan. His expose resulted in threats to his life, Geron said. A barangay official, for example, challenged Consignado to a knife fight as a result of Consignado's report.

Police are also looking into the possibility that Consignado's death may have something to do with a land dispute with some of his relatives.

Dave Santa Ana, newsroom supervisor at Radio Veritas, said Consignado's reports of late had not been critical of anybody.

"His death pains me," Geron said. He added: "I think it's about time that something should be done about these killings."

GMA wants killers brought to justice

President Arroyo on Thursday ordered Interior Secretary Angelo Reyes to lead efforts in bringing to justice the killers of journalists.

“If he can do it with kidnappers, he can certainly do something about these killings,” the President said Thursday.

Arroyo said she expected Reyes to look into the recent murders of journalists and bring to jail the killers.

Inday Espina-Varona, NUJP chairman, however, said the government "likes to boast of a freewheeling democracy...And yet, as events of 2003 and the past months show, the Philippine Press is under siege by a society that increasingly shoots or arrests its messengers."

Consignado was the fourth journalists killed in less than two weeks. On July 31, Rogelio "Roger" Mariano of DZIJ-Aksyon Radio in Laoag was shot dead. A few days later, on August 5, Arnnel Manalo, a reporter of DZRH and the Manila tabloid Bulgar in Bauan, Batangas, was also killed.

Then on August 8, Jonathan Abayon, a reporter of RGMA Superadyo in General Santos City, was shot by William Bael, the bodyguard of boxing champion Manny Pacquiao. Abayon died the next day.

On June 17, Eliseo Binoya of Radyo Natin in General Santos City was shot and killed. On February 11, Ruel Endrinal of DZRC in Legazpi City, was also shot dead.

Most dangerous country for a journalist

If the trend of killings continues, 2004 could become the bloodiest year ever for Filipino journalists. Last year, seven journalists were murdered, matching the record of Colombia, and thus becoming one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a journalist.

News of Consignado's death came less than two hours after the NUJP concluded a roundtable discussion at the University of the Philippines on how to deal with the series of killings that the group says threatens Philippine democracy.

Among those agreed by the more than 30 journalists who attended the meeting is the proposal to ask Congress to launch an investigation into the police and the judiciary's failure to solve any of the 54 cases of murders since 1986.

The NUJP said the move is part of newsmen's intensified campaign condemning the “routine assassination of journalists” in the country.

“The media, as a whole, should gather and present information apart from the findings of the police, “ said Jose Torres Jr., chairman of NUJP's Commission for the Protection of Journalists.

Torres said unifying the documentation and data regarding the cases of slain journalists will establish the trend of violence against members of the press.

The NUJP said using the privileges and powers of the press to publicize the cases could pressure the authorities to prioritize the issue.

“Kahit pa gusto tayong armasan, ang nasa atin talaga ay ‘yung papel natin at mga radyo (Even if they (the police) want to arm us, our real weapons are our pens),” Carlos Conde, NUJP secretary-general, said in reaction to the police proposal to loosen firearm laws for members of the press.

NUJP said it will also ask Congress to probe into PNP's failure to solve a single case out of the estimated 55 slain journalists since 1986.

“Majority of these cases, the suspects are members of the police and military. These are the hardest cases to deal with,” Conde said. “We hope this will also address the culture of impunity.”

"These killings have got to stop," said Carlos H. Conde, NUJP secretary-general. "The situation is very, very alarming."

Stop blaming the victims

The NUJP also condemned Thursday the statement of top police officials blaming the “shady backgrounds” of journalists to explain why the authorities has yet to solve a single case from the 55 murders of members of the press since 1986.

"It is one thing to accept the fact that not all journalists are clean,“ said the NUJP in a statement. “[But] we must reject the notion that journalistic misdeed – to which there are enough legal and administrative redress – are reasons for murder, torture and harassment.”

A top police official, who refused to be named, reportedly said there is little sympathy for victims of media violence with “shady backgrounds.”

Police Chief Supt. Joel Goltiao then reportedly added: “There are [journalists] who are engaged in many extracurricular activities and it is for this involvement that they are harmed.”

“That, pure and simple, is blaming the victim,” the NUJP said, adding that Goltiao may soon be blaming rape victims for being “too sexy” or kidnap victims for being “too rich.”

“Perhaps Goltiao forgets that even cops and all other persons of authority are bound to act according to basic laws that uphold a person’s innocence unless proven otherwise in court.”