EDITORIAL - Open season

For a nation that takes pride in having Asia’s freest press, too many journalists are getting killed in the exercise of their profession. Early yesterday a radio reporter was shot in General Santos City. Jonathan Abayon, who is in critical condition, was attacked just two days after three radio broadcasters were wounded in an ambush in Cebu City. Abayon was allegedly shot by a former Army sergeant who now serves as one of the bodyguards of world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao.

The attacks came on the heels of the fatal shooting of radio reporters Arnel Manalo in Batangas and Roger Mariano in Laoag over a week ago. Last June 17, radio station manager Ely Binoya was shot dead in General Santos City.

Since democracy was restored following the people power revolution in February 1986, 43 journalists have been killed in this country, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. This makes the Philippines one of the most dangerous places for the working press, the CPJ said.

The threat is posed not by terrorists but by public officials and criminals who see nothing extraordinary about permanently silencing a critical member of the press. This mindset will persist as long as perpetrators see that they can get away with it. Few suspects have been caught or prosecuted for all those murders of journalists since 1986. And even when the triggerman is arrested and sent to prison, the mastermind – usually a local political kingpin – is rarely indicted or even identified.

Relaxing gun rules for journalists may help, but it will not put an end to the belief that a critical press can be silenced permanently. The best way to discourage this kind of thinking is by catching and punishing those who order the assassination of journalists. If the attacks on members of the press in recent weeks go unpunished, silencing bearers of bad news can become a habit, making a mockery of press freedom in this country. The government must put an end to this open season on the press.