Journalist Assassinated in Pagadian

Source: Reporters sans frontières (RSF)
May 14, 2002

"For several years now, Reporters Without Borders has condemned the fact that those who have killed journalists in the provinces of Mindanao Island remain unpunished. The government must react now, by mobilising the police and judiciary to investigate these murders as a matter of urgency," wrote RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard in a letter to Interior Minister José Lina.

This expression of grave concern by RSF follows the murder of journalist Edgar Damalerio, who worked for the DXKP public radio station and was editor of the local publication "Zamboanga Scribe" in Pagadian (western Mindanao Island). The organisation called on the minister to "intervene so as to ensure that the security services identify those who carried out and ordered this assassination." RSF has asked to be kept informed of the investigation's progress.

According to RSF's information, Damalerio was killed on 13 May 2002 as he was driving home from work in a jeep with two colleagues. A police officer was quoted by the Associated Press agency as stating that the journalist was shot at point-blank range by two unidentified individuals riding a motorcycle. The attackers managed to escape.

According to some of his colleagues, Damalerio, who was known for his integrity, had written numerous articles about corruption in political and police circles in this region of the Philippines, where the security forces are fighting armed separatist groups. According to the police, the killers could be the same individuals who recently murdered two Pagadian officials.

Damalerio is the second journalist to be killed in the southern Philippines since 1 January. In April, journalist and human rights activist Benjaline "Beng" Hernandez was killed by soldiers in Cotabato province (see IFEX alerts of 26 and 11 April 2002). In addition, at least two journalists were killed on Mindanao Island in 2001, making this one of the world's most dangerous regions for journalists.

For further information, contact Vincent Brossel at RSF, 5, rue Geoffroy Marie, Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51, e-mail: asie@rsf.fr, Internet: http://www.rsf.fr

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