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TF211 CHAIRMAN UNDERSECRETARY RICARDO BLANCAFLOR
ACCEPTS THE CHALLENGE OF NUJP PRESIDENT JOSE TORRES, JR.
TF211 Chairman Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor of the
Department of Justice (DOJ) is taking on the challenge
of National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP)
Chairman Jose Torres, Jr. to finally put a stop to
attacks on journalists. This is in reaction to the
statement of Torres, Jr. challenging and blaming the
government for the attack on radio commentator Dennis
Cuesta in General Santos City last August 4, 2008 by two
male unidentified suspects.
Chair Blancaflor said that the government is
intensifying its efforts in eliminating extra-judicial
killings. He further stated that in less than a year of
its creation, the task force has been instrumental in
the prosecution of cases involving media personalities.
One case in point was the expeditious apprehension of
the persons involved in the killing of media personality
Bert Sison in Sariaya, Quezon in June of this year.
Blancaflor added, “It is lamentable that some people
just cannot understand that these killings affect the
entire nation, not just a particular group of people.
Instead of just conveniently blaming the government for
everything, let us try to work together for the
betterment of our country. The establishment of a media
that is free from persecution will only be realized if
the different media organizations work with the
government in the expeditious investigation and
resolution of cases such as that of De Cuesta. I am
returning the challenge to Mr. Torres, Jr., as President
of NUJP, to sit down with me and discuss how his group
can help in the investigation and eventual persecution
of the perpetrators. “
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