Murder he wrought

THE QUESTION asked of the President-elect was: “What is your policy about journalist killings that the Aquino government failed to act (on)?”

His answers: “Alam mo hija, ganito yan. Kung papatayin ka, papatayin ka talaga. (You know kid, it’s like this. If you’ll be killed, you’ll really be killed.) There is no way to know that the next victim will be a journalist.”

“Sa karamihan, pranka-pranka, may nagawa yan. Kasi hindi ka naman papatayin dyan kung wala kang ginawa, eh.” (Mostly, to be frank (about it), (the victims) did something. Because you won’t be killed if you did (nothing wrong).)

“Yung mga exposé, bad words against us, wala yan. Ako, I’ve been mayor…, okay yan… praktisado kami… pero may mga tao … you go private, tapos hiyain mo ang anak, babuyin mo, papatayin kang ka talaga.” (Exposé and bad words are nothing to us politicians. We’re used to that. But there are people…then you shame his child, abuse him, you will really get killed.)

“Pero karamihan dyan, alam nyo na, nabigyan na tapos (But most of them, you know it, they’ve accepted bribes, then) … especially if you want to take sides. Nabayaran mo na tapos you play. Yan ang karamihan namamatay. Or tumatanggap na sa mga sugarol, tapos bira pa rin (They are those usually killed. Or they receive money from gambling lords, yet go on attacking them). You really want the truth, yun ang truth.

“There is still corruption sa inyong side. Marami iyan. Hindi lang … ang binibigyan niyan, hindi lang police. Yun si Pala, binibigyan yan, kumokolek, harap-harapan kung sabihin, kumolekta kami. Tapos sa kabila, babanatan mo ako. Yun, that is the best example kung bakit namamatay itong mga journalists.

“Kasi kung journalist ka lang na tama, wala man gagalaw sa iyo. (If you are a good journalist, nobody will touch you.)

“Especially if it (exposé) is true. You cannot hide the truth, by the way…I do not diminish memory but he (Pala) was a rotten son of a bitch. He deserved it.”

“That is the reason. You are asking why… that is the reason. Now, sinabi mo hindi dapat, you have to debate with the killer, not me. Of course I know who killed them. Kasi binastos nya yung tao eh.

“Most of you are clean. But do not expect that all journalists are clean.”

 “It’s not because you’re a journalist, you are exempted from assassination. Ang premise mo kasi, journalist siya, bakit papatayin siya. (Your premise is, he’s a journalist so why should he be killed.) It’s all wrong.

“Kasi kung journalist ka lang na tama, walang gagalaw sa iyo (if you are a good journalist, nobody will touch you.) Yung freedom of expression will not save you if you have done something wrong to the guy. Do not believe it hook, line and sinker, that freedom of expression will save you.

“Just because you are a journalist you are not exempted from assassination. If you are a son of a bitch… ako praktisado. Humanap ka ng sundalo, sabihin mo ang asawa mo kaliwete, papatayin ka. Subukan mo, hindi madala ng free speech yan, hija. (I’m practised. Try to find a soldier and tell him his wife has cuckolded him, he will kill you. Try it, free speech won’t save you, kid) The Constitution can no longer help you pag binaboy mo ang ibang tao (if you humiliate other people.).”

THE QUESTION was clear enough.

The answer, circuitous as it was, was no answer. It was the expression of a mindset prejudiced to extremity against the working press.

Discord he reaps

MURDER IS no joke. Neither is press freedom. So reacted the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines to the statements of the President-elect.

“Mr. Duterte’s crass pronouncement not only sullies the names and memories of all 176 of our colleagues who have been murdered since 1986, he has also, in effect, declared open season to silence the media, both individual journalists and the institution, on the mere perception of corruption…

"It is one thing to recognize a possible reason for murder; it is a totally different thing to present this as a justification for taking life."

From the College Editors Guild of the Philippines: “The pronouncement made by President-elect Duterte is a faulty generalization in which he failed to understand how the intensifying culture of impunity perpetuates the killing of journalists and media workers in their line of duty…

“It is without denial that as journalists, the job description to expose the truth behind the general scheme of things is above all else.”

The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines said: "Duterte's statement is a chilling reminder that journalists in the Philippines continue to live under threat, decades after (the association) was founded to fight for press freedom at the height of Ferdinand Marcos's dictatorship."

The Center for International Law: “As an incoming president and as a lawyer, you must surely know that the state has an obligation under international law and constitutional law to provide effective remedy to victims of human rights violations. Your remark is not only insensitive; by it you only show a cynical attitude toward what is a serious concern to the international community and a scourge to any society founded on democratic ideals.

“You also implied … that journalists are often killed because they had been corrupt. That is an insult to the memory of many journalists whose only mistake was being faithful to their professional calling to a fault.”

The International Federation of Journalists: “The Philippines is the second deadliest country in the world for journalists… Duterte needs to take immediate action to end the culture of violence and impunity against the media in the Philippines and support press freedom and freedom of expression.”  

The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility: “While corruption is undoubtedly a continuing problem in the press and media, journalists have been killed for other reasons, among them for exposing corruption in government…

Because a significant number of those accused of killing journalists are local officials, as well as police and military personnel, the killings also suggest that the slain had been successful in exposing official wrongdoing and collusion with criminal groups.”

And from the Committee to Protect Journalists: "Duterte's shocking remarks apparently excusing extrajudicial killings threaten to make the Philippines into a killing field for journalists. We strongly urge him to retract his comments and to signal that he intends to protect, not target, the press."

Damaged control

“TAKEN OUT of context, misinterpreted, and misunderstood.”

That was Duterte’s statement on media killings, according to his loudmouth Peter Lavina. “For instance, his example of most slain journalists as being corrupt or involved in shady deals was based on his own assessment of those killed in Davao City and not on the national scale. Certainly, Duterte has no personal knowledge on each and every single case of media killings in many parts of the country.”

No, Sir, your President did not make any distinction in his wholesale damnation of the media dead.  

“When Duterte said last night that members of the media become vulnerable to killings, it was because they were no longer seen as fair and neutral members of the media but because they have become partisan propagandists, deliberately using their media outlets in attacking or defending one party or another and collecting pay offs on both.”

So, their killing is justifiable, as impacted by the statements of your President.

All in context, Sir. Precisely worded. Perfectly understood.

Seconding Lavina is Sen. Koko Pimentel: “Do not mistake or misinterpret the statement of the President. Ang sinabi lang naman ng Presidente, we have freedom of the press but we also have to be responsible in exercising it and given the nature of the Filipinos, sometimes they resort to violence and the Constitution can’t protect you from violence.”

Nice take, Sir, but it is you that is misinterpreting the statements of your President.

“But what has not been stated is that these people who violate the law by employing violence must be brought to justice. ‘Yan ang importante. So media killing man ‘yan, or killing of a business person, or killing of an innocent person, all of these killers must be brought to justice. That’s very important.”

Important, yes, but your President did not say anything about it. Sounds like this  Koko just flew over the cuckoo’s nest.