Killings of 17 Cebu journalists still unsolved

The killings of 17 Cebu journalists since 1985 have remained unsolved, the president of the Sugbuanong Ko—mentarista Nagpakana (Cebu Concerned Commentators) told The STAR on the sidelines of the 10th National Press Congress in Manila of the Publishers Association of the Philippines Inc. (PAPI).

SUKNA president Greg Senining said lawyer Vic Villondon, a commentator of radio station dyLA Cebu, was the first local journalist murdered — in 1985.

Senining lamented that although most of the assailants of Cebuano journalists were identified, no one was jailed in spite of the legal actions taken against them.

While the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP) Cebu chapter has moved to arm local journalists, Senining said SUKNA has signified its strong opposition to it, saying it would not prevent would-be assailants to attack media practitioners.

Cebuano journalist George Benaojan, according to Senining, was armed but was still unable to defend himself.

Meanwhile, SUKNA and the Cebu Tri-media Association, which both represented Central Visayas in the 10th National Press Congress, passed a resolution urging PAPI to make representations with the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces to intervene in the unsolved murders of local journalists.

The PAPI convention was attended by publishers, editors, news writers, government information officers, and local newspaper correspondents nationwide.