News & Archives

Front Page News Balita Pinoy Immigration Advice Philippine News OFW News UK Immigration Mindanao Cross OFW Journalism Foreclosure News Video News Embassy News Archived News Domestic Workers Help Wanted Ressie Reyes Migration Advisors Advertise Contact Kalayaan Missing Persons Humor World Remit OrbitRemit I Remit Migration Lawyers Bison UK Scandals About Us Savory Recipes 1 Dessert Recipes 1 Events Philippine Cuisine Services Juana Change Recipe Submissions Wiki Recipes Sinigang Philippine Recipes Shrimp Scampi UK Immigration Free Advice USA Immigration Free Advice Irish Immigration Free Advice Female Catalog Catalog

AMPATUAN MASSACRE: DAMNING TESTIMONY FROM A SURVIVOR

March 9, 2010

London

Last week, Amnesty International hosted a forum in London to raise awareness on the subject of the worst killing ever of journalists. 30 were confirmed dead, the worst media killing since WWII. In total 57 people were butchered, although there are strong suspicions that several more have been left out of the final total of the Maguindanao horror which may take it to around 62.

Yet the world's media in the main have virtually ignored it, as well as the implications it holds. With the exception of Al Jazeera, the large media organizations seem to have taken the view that it was a domestic issue. This contrasts greatly with the reaction to Western journalists being murdered.

In 1996 Irish investigative reporter Veronica Guerin was killed on the orders of a major drug dealer on the streets of Dublin. The reaction to this murder was totally different. Major laws regarding seizure of criminal assets were immediately introduced by the Irish government, two films were made and a bust of her has become a memorial. There is even a street in Australia named after her.

In the Amnesty video below, a journalist from the Inquirer recounts how neither the army nor the police provided an escort for the convoy.

Below that are three videos from Al Jazeera, two from their program "The Listening Post", all on the subject of media massacre. 

It is notable that before the Ampatuan Massacre, the Philippines was one of the worst places in the world for media murders, with virtually no prosecutions happening.

 

A famous instance is that of Marlene Garcia-Esperat (pictured above)the two Agriculture officials named, Osmeña Montañer and Estrella Sabay, recently resumed their posts in spite of it being one of the few cases where the hit-men were actually convicted and named the masterminds.

After the massacre, the Philippines is now the world's worst place for media murders.

 

THE AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL VIDEO

AL JAZEERA "The Listening Post" - program 1 - The Ampatuan piece begins 14 minutes into the show 

AL JAZEERA "The Listening Post" - program 2 - The Ampatuan piece begins immediately 

AL JAZEERA - interview with an Ampatuan hitman 

 


Posted at: 21:28 | Add Comment RSS | Digg! | del.icio.usdel.icio.us

Add Comment

Your Name: (Required)
Comment:

Please enter the 4 to 6 character security code:

(This is to prevent automated comments.)