Samar Island newsmen condemn massacre of journalists in Maguindanao

By RICKY J. BAUTISTA
November 26, 2009

CATBALOGAN CITY – This is the darkest day and infamy in the history of journalism in the Philippines.

The entire community of journalists in the three provinces of Samar Island has joined hundreds of media organizations here and abroad in expressing outrage and condemnation over the gruesome fate suffered by their murdered colleagues when a political convoy was ambushed and slaughtered by gunmen in the Maguindanao province of Southern Philippines, Monday, November 23, this year.

The Samar Island Press Club (SIPC), a legitimate media organization composed of members working for print, radio and televisions stations in North, West and East Samar has also demand speedy solution over this biggest single massacre of working journalists committed by beasts, bring to justice the guilty murderers with dispatch, without fear or favor.

Starting today, members of the SIPC will wear a black t-shirt with “stop killing journalist” print, condemn in each radio programs and newspaper columns and will put a wide tarpaulin with full condemnation of this kind of “barbaric acts” against innocent civilians.

The full text of the statement released by the SIPC yesterday runs as follows:

“We, the members of the Samar Island Press Club (SIPC) from East, North and Western Provinces of Samar Island, condemn in its strongest possible term the recent massacre in the Province of Maguindanao that claimed more than 40 innocent lives in which more or less 15 of the victims are members of the media who were merely covering the event as part of their duty and obligation to the people of Maguindanao.

This despicable and savage killings of the members of the Fourth Estate perpetrated in such a horrid and loathsome manner that can only be done by beasts and barbaric beings who have divested themselves of the tiniest semblance of humanity is not only a brazen affront to press freedom but shows lack of respect to human dignity and sanctity.

We can only imagine the evil lurks in the hearts of these most vicious criminals!

Clearly, their demonic masters who are behind this barbaric acts are sending us a message to spare them from exposing their evil and Godless acts against their so called "enemies" to shut up and zipped our mouth, close our eyes, and turned our ears deaf.

But, they are wrong because we fear no one, we will continue to exercise our sworn in duty because that is where we exist, we will continue to expose and oppose ills in government bureaucracy.

We will continue to fight those who would try to quell our God-given gift and our constitutionally enshrined democratic principles such as the Freedom of the Press, the rights of the people to information, and the right of every person to redress grievances against the State.

With one indignant, persistent voice, we the members of the Samar Island Press Club (SIPC) proclaim to all concerned government authorities, that we demand speedy solution over this heinous crime committed by beasts, bring to justice the guilty murderers with dispatch, without fear or favor.”

The SIPC call came after a political convoy of over 50 persons, composed of newsmen, lawyers, and other civilians was ambushed, beheaded and slaughtered by around 100 armed men in Maguindanao, Southern Philippines. Most of the victims were peppered with bullets and buried including their vehicles.

Buluan vice mayor Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu told ANC News that his wife, Genalyn, his sister, and some relatives were on their way to file a certificate of candidacy on his behalf when they were abducted. Mangudadatu is running for governor of Maguindanao.

He said his wife called him at around 9:30 in the morning to say an armed group, supposedly of the Ampatuan clan, a political rival, flagged down their convoy on their way to Shariff Aguak town, where the election office of the province is located.

As of yesterday, the police and military has taken over the whole province apparently to “build confident control measures.” All concerned government agencies has also been deployed in the area to help in the investigations and control peace and order situation in the area.