11 years after Gerry Ortega murder, report urges expert panels to handle media killings
MANILA, Philippines — In the Philippines, which has been tagged as a dangerous country for journalists, the Department of Justice should form a panel of investigating prosecutors for killings of media members and prosecution of "powerful" individuals.
This was among the recommendations of A Safer World for Truth in a report on the murder of Palawan journalist Gerry Ortega in 2011. The report was released on Monday.
"In future cases of journalist killings, the Justice Secretary should select the members of the investigating prosecutor-panels based on their proven expertise, especially in cases concerning the prosecution of powerful actors and journalist murders," it said.
'It is highly recommended that independent experts from government agencies, such as the National Bureau of Investigation and non-governmental institutions are consulted in this process," the report added.
The justice secretary chairs the Presidential Task Force on Media Security, where the chief of the Presidential Communications Operations Office serves as co-chair. The task force was formed in October 2016.
RELATED: How the Presidential Task Force on Media Security works
The report looked into the case of Ortega, who was killed in 2011 and whose case is still pending resolution. Former Palawan Gov. Mario Joel Reyes was tagged as mastermind in the murder of the environmentalist-broadcaster, but he was freed in 2018 and is currently seeking election.
This was after the Court of Appeals granted his petition to nullify the arrest order issued by Puetro Princesa City Regional Trial Court Branch 52.
The Inquirer reported that a new warrant was issued against Reyes in October 2021, but the fomer governor remains free.
Case of Gerry Ortega
The A Safer World for Truth report noted that when Ortega was killed in 2011, he was the 142nd journalist killed since 1986 and the third during the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.
Attacks on media have also escalated in the time of President Rodrigo Duterte, the report noted.
"These numbers highlight the fact that the murder of Gerry Ortega is part of a structural problem concerning the safety of journalists in the Philippines," the report said.
"In the aftermath of the murder of journalists, the Philippine justice system often fails to provide complete justice. In the Philippines, in most cases of murdered journalists, the material authors are captured but the masterminds escape justice," it said, referring to the gunmen and killers who are sometimes charged over the attacks.
In the case of Ortega, the gunman and the middleman were arrested in 2011, but Reyes, the suspected mastermind, "has avoided justice for more than a decade," the report noted.
"This means that the systematic abuse of power in these cases is not addressed and that those in power feel they are untouchable, or perhaps even immune to prosecution," it added.
Witness Protection Program
The report also said that investigation of custodial deaths, such as key witnesses, must follow international standards. "Records of such investigations should be carefully handled and external experts should have the ability to access these records," it read.
In the case of Ortega, hitman Dennis Aranas was found dead in his prison cell, which the report flagged as suspicious.
It also further urged the DOJ to ensure that the Witness Protection Program provides subjects with enough resources to support themselves without exposure to potential harm, noting that state witness Rodolfo Edrad survived an attack in his house on August 25, 2021.
Congress is also urged to revisit the Witness Protection Program, "by strengthening and specifying Section 8 of the Republic Act 6981, by defining a level of financial support that is, at least, sufficient for state witnesses to sustain their livelihoods."
"The DOJ should regularly monitor and evaluate cases of journalist murders to ensure a speedy investigation and effective response to any gaps in the investigation and prosecution of these cases," it added. — Kristine Joy Patag
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