Journalists worldwide to mark first anniversary of Ampatuan massacre

Journalists around the world will be one with the relatives of the victims in commemorating the first anniversary of the Ampatuan massacre on Tuesday, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said. The NUJP said the activities by the International Federation of Journalists will complement their march to Mendiola. "Nag-declare ang IFJ kung saan affiliated ang NUJP na maging Global Day of Action ito. May gagawin na activities to show solidarity, pupunta sila sa Philippine embassies at magbibigay ng statement kay Pangulong Aquino, expressing concerns at bigyan ng hustisya ang biktima," NUJP chairman Nestor Burgos Jr. said in an interview on dzBB radio on Monday. (IFJ has declared a Global Day of Action on Tuesday. Its members and allies will go to Philippine embassies and give statements of concerns about the case, asking President Benigno Aquino III to give justice to the victims.) The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 125 countries. The NUJP, an IFJ affiliate, will join a march in Manila from the Far Eastern University along Morayta Street to Mendiola. Burgos said foreign journalists will also join the march as "observers." "Hindi lang journalist, iba't-ibang sector, pamilya ng biktima at may journalist from abroad, mga observer especially from Asia," he said. (Not only journalists but people from various sectors, including the families of the victims, and journalists from abroad especially from Asia will join the march as observers.) Church bells to ring for 57 seconds Meanwhile, Radio dzBB reported that Catholic churches will sound their bells for 57 seconds on November 23, in memory of at least 57 people killed in the massacre, 32 of them journalists. The report said Church officials claim the bells will toll for justice. For its part, militant umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan is preparing a nine-foot effigy for a protest action on Tuesday. The effigies include that of a backhoe, a dzBB report said. The militants will also attend the Mass and hold candle-lighting and mock promulgation activities. Negros journalists to mark anniversary with Mass In Negros Occidental, the Negros Press Club (NPC) will lead a torch parade and Mass in Bacolod City on Tuesday to mark the anniversary, the news site Visayan Daily Star reported Monday. Club president Julius Mariveles will be in Mindanao to join journalists from across the country at the massacre site in Masalay village, Ampatuan town, Maguindanao. NPC vice-president Annie Calderon said the Tuesday commemoration in Bacolod City will start with a 5 p.m. mass at the San Sebastian Cathedral. Two broadcast journalists from Bacolod – dzRH correspondent Henry Araneta and Bombo Radyo reporter Bart Maravilla of Bombo Radyo – were among the 32 slain journalists. Connie Jaime-Brizuela of the National Union of People’s Lawyers who is from Mansilingan Village, Bacolod City was one of the lawyers killed. “We are demanding for justice now," Mariveles said, adding that delays in the trial of the case would only embolden those who want to kill journalists. – VVP, GMANews.TV