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Press Release
December 30, 2008
"Be Fair" Blancaflor Appeals to Media
Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor, Chairman of
the Task Force Against Political Violence (or TF211), is
disappointed with the statement issued by the National
Press Club (NPC), which said that 2008 has been a tragic
year for press freedom in the Philippines and called on
the government to do more than make public statements
and reports.
"This statement by the NPC is downright unfair and
inaccurate. It does not help at all if media
organizations purposely close their eyes and shut their
ears to the fact that the government has been doing its
best to put an end to, or at least deter, the further
commission of these crimes against media practitioners.
If we are only making statements and reports, then our
lives would not be under threat, but we are always under
threat from criminal syndicates and local politicians",
Blancaflor asserts.
"Tell us, what else could we have done? Where did we go
wrong? We've been working 24/7 on these media killings
cases. We are doing everything humanly possible, even
sacrificing time with our respective families in order
to solve these cases. If they wish to continue bashing
against government and our efforts, I at least ask them
not to do it at the expense of the truth", retorts
Blancaflor.
Contrary to the accusations that the government did not
do its best to address the issue of media killings, the
Task Force 211 has been pursuing relentlessly all cases
of media killings since it started operation in November
of 2007. This year (2008), it made headway by causing
the speedy resolution of four (4) cases of media
killings in its close watch (Bert Sison, Dennis Cuesta,
Martin Roxas, and Arecio Padrigao). With "speedy", they
mean that the Task Force was able to resolve these four
media killings cases in an average of only two (2)
weeks. We are challenging NPC to explain how the four
media killings in 2008 were solved in less than two
weeks if TF211 did not do its job.
As for the two latest media killings (Leo Luna Mila in
Samar and Muriel Leonilo in Quezon City ), Task Force
211's initial investigations reveal that these killings
were NOT media work-related. Investigators have seen
personal motives (i.e., love triangle) in the
perpetration of the crimes. And this is not uncommon in
incidents involving death or killings of media
practitioners, that they are killed for some other
reasons but work. That is why Undersecretary Blancaflor
reiterates his appeal to media organizations and
practitioners - DO NOT IN BAD FAITH CAPITALIZE ON THESE
INCIDENTS TO FURTHER ANTI-GOVERNMENT AGENDA.
Undersecretary Blancaflor therefore challenges media
organizations to lend a hand to the problem of media
killings, instead of just blabbering about it, which is
not at all productive.
Blancaflor said, "Neither would it help resolve the
problem if the society or media organizations will only
keep on attacking the government or the efforts of
government officials who are working on the problem, but
not lend a hand, despite knowing that they are
indispensable and integral members or pillars of justice
who have their own roles to take on the issue."
"Media and government should work together to put a stop
to these horrendous acts against our brothers and
sisters in the media. Negative labeling and other forms
of unjust criticism are not helping us in our pursuit of
finally eradicating political violence and media
killings. To the media organizations who truly embrace
truth and have no political agenda, STOP BEING STOOGES
OF THE LEFT", Blancaflor added.### |
