Human Rights

MANILA, Philippines—The number of Filipino journalists killed rose to six in 2008, making the year one of the worst since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo began her term in 2001, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) said in its Philippine Press Freedom Report 2008, released Wednesday.

Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela Women’s party-list Rep. Liza Maza and a ranking member of the influential Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday condemned the worsening extra-judicial killing in Souther tagalong and Davao lambasting the Arroyo administration for practically doing nothing to stop the killing spree.

THE Catholic Church is alarmed with the series of extrajudicial killings in Davao City and asked for the forgiveness of their sins (killers) this coming Lenten season.

MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang on Tuesday criticized as “unfair” a report from a New York-based media watchdog listing the Philippines as among the world’s most dangerous places for journalists due to many unresolved murders since 1998.

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines – A lone gunman killed a female militant leader and wounded one of her colleagues in Sta. Rosa City, Laguna Monday morning, police said.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday claimed the 24 journalists’ murders the media watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) tagged as “unsolved” have already been cracked, at least by the police’s own standards.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines remains in 6th spot among 14 countries with the highest number of unsolved journalists’ killings.

The Philippines on Tuesday blasted a New York-based media watchdog after it claimed the country was among the deadliest peace time nations for the working press.

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed the petition filed by two military rebels seeking immunity for the kidnapping and murder of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) chairman Rolanda Olalia and his driver Leonor Alay-ay in 1986.

MANILA, Philippines – The Action Network Human Rights (ANHR), a German-based human rights group, welcomed the creation of human rights offices by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

THE Supreme Court has given the go-signal for the prosecution of two members of the rebel military group Reform the Armed Forces of the Philippines Movement (RAM) in connection with the killing of Kilusang Mayo Uno head Rolando Olalia and his driver Leonor Alay-ay 23 years ago

The Commission on Human Rights will look into the series of unexplained killings attributed to the “Davao Death Squad” and unmask those behind the vigilante group.

MANILA, Philippines – The European Parliament has adopted a resolution calling on the Philippine government to strengthen its investigation and prosecution of unexplained killings in the country.

THE European Parliament has urged the Philippine government to strengthen the investigation and prosecution of extra-judicial killings in the country, European Union Ambassador to the Philippines Alistair McDonald said Monday.

MANILA, Philippines – President Arroyo met yesterday law enforcement officials and representatives of media organizations at an emergency meeting in Malacañang that came up with fresh measures to prevent more attacks on journalists.

KORONADAL CITY, Philippines  – A known leader of the Bayan Muna party-list group in Central Mindanao was gunned down on a busy street here on Monday afternoon, police said.

BUTUAN CITY, Philippines – Two still unidentified gunmen shot dxCC Radio Mindanao Network broadcaster Nilo Labares late Thursday night, the latest in a series of media figures targeted, according to police.

ZAMBOANGA CITY: Unidentified gunmen shot and wounded a broadcaster in the latest attack on journalists in the southern Philippines.

MANILA, Philippines – President Arroyo appealed yesterday to the members of the judiciary to swiftly resolve human rights cases in the country.

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang justified the slow pace of the judiciary in resolving cases involving human rights violations, saying this was deliberate to ensure that only the guilty are punished.

MANILA, Philippines – Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chairperson Leila de Lima said yesterday the US State Department’s report on human rights practices in 2008 is “a fair assessment” of the Philippines’ human rights record.

CHA-AM (AP) – Southeast Asian officials on Friday hailed the creation of a regional human rights body as a historic first step toward confronting abuses in the region, but the body will lack the power to investigate or punish violators of human rights like military-ruled Myanmar.

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – A radio broadcaster was shot dead on his way to his radio program in Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – Political concerns, particularly the country’s standard on human rights which is different from the European Union’s, will be a contentious issue in the draft of the proposed Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with the EU, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

Certain political issues as sensitive as human rights remain a stumbling block to forging an expanded economic, political and security cooperation between the Philippines and the European Union, a top diplomat said at the end of the first round of talks for a Partnership Cooperation Agreement (PCA).

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Police (PNP) welcomed yesterday the proposal of an international media organization to create special courts to handle murder cases involving journalists.

MANILA, Philippines — Murder charges have been filed against a police inspector and his companions who were tagged in last year’s killing of a radio station executive in General Santos City, the Department of Justice announced over the weekend.

Task Force Usig reported that there were no recorded cases of killings of militant party-list members, militants or journalists in the first 38 days of 2009.

The Philippines has made it to this year’s “Guinness Book of World Records” for having the most number of recorded murders based on United Nations data in 2004, an election year.

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) yesterday expressed support “in principle” for the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign but warned officials to provide “additional layers of protection” for Filipino students.