MANILA, Philippines — Press freedom and the murders of journalists in the Philippines should be a central focus of discussions between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, international organizations said Monday.
Marcos is currently in Berlin to deepen bilateral relations and enhance cooperation with Germany in maritime trade and vocational education.
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In a joint statement, the coalition composed of Free Press Unlimited (FPU), Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said that Marcos and Scholz should discuss the case of murdered broadcaster and environmentalist Gerry Ortega.
“We urge Chancellor Scholz to ensure that the media’s role as a pillar of democracy that holds power to account is protected, and that justice is delivered specifically in the case of Gerry Ortega, when he holds talks with President Marcos Jr,” the groups said.
The press freedom organizations stressed that Germany has a special responsibility to prioritize discussions on impunity in the killings of Filipino journalists as co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition, a group of 50 countries committed to promoting press freedom.
Ortega publicly opposed mining projects in Palawan and reported on alleged corruption in the province before he was gunned down in a thrift store in 2011.
Former Palawan governor Joel Reyes, the mastermind in Ortega’s killing, remains at large despite an outstanding warrant of arrest. In 2012, he fled to Vietnam to evade arrest after the justice department indicted him for Ortega’s murder.
“This is a troubling signal that the free press is a fair game,” the coalition said.
The press freedom organizations noted that Ortega’s murder is “emblematic of the entrenched impunity in media killings in the Philippines.”
Since 1986, 199 journalists have been killed in the country, according to the National Union of Journalists (NUJP). Fatal attacks frequently target those outside Metro Manila.
The Philippines ranked eighth on CPJ’s 2023 Global Impunity Index and 132nd on RSF’s World Press Freedom Index last year.
Last month, FPU, RSF and CPJ, together with the NUJP in the Philippines, met with authorities in Manila to provide insights on the hideout of Reyes and called for his immediate arrest.
The Supreme Court, in a December 2023 notice, ordered the trial of Reyes transferred from Palawan to Quezon City. Reyes cited limited personnel and resources to secure his attendance during the trial.