Media groups: Mas maraming mamamahayag ang pinaslang sa unang mga buwan ng Aquino admin kumpara sa Arroyo admin

Mas marami umanong mamamahayag ang napatay sa ilalim ng mga unang buwan ng Aquino administration kumpara sa unang mga buwan ng Arroyo administration, ayon sa media groups na National Press Club of the Philippines (NPC) at Alyansa ng Filipinong Mamamahayag (AFIMA).   Sa isang news release, sinabi ng NPC na wala pa umanong dalawang taon ang pamumuno ni Pangulong Benigno Aquino III ngunit 12 na mamamahayag na ang napaslang kung saan si Christopher Guarin ang pinakahuli.   Matatandaang nabaril at napatay si Guarin sa General Santos City noong Enero 5 habang kasama ang kanyang asawa’t anak.   Ilan pa sa mga mamamahayag na napatay sa unang 20 buwan sa puwesto ni Arroyo ayon sa NPC ay sina:  

• Mohammad Yusoph of Radio DXID Pagadian City (February 23, 2001);
• Joy Mortel of Mindoro Guardian (May 31, 2001);
• Candelario Cayona of Radio DXLL in Zamboanga City (May 30, 2001);
• Edgar Damalerio of Zamboanga Scribe and DXKP Radio also in Pagadian City (May 13, 2002), at
• Rhode Sonny Esguerra Alcantara of “Quo Vadis San Pablo” and Kokus in San Pablo, Laguna (August 22, 2002).

  Bago ang pagpatay kay Guarin, napatay naman mula nang maupo si Aquino bilang presidente sina:  

• Jose Daguio in Kalinga province (July 3, 2010);
• Miguel Belen of DWEB FM in Camarines Sur (July 9, 20100);
• Edilberto Cruz of Salida talboid in Nueva Ecija (August 1, 2010);
• Edison Falmeniana Sr. of Mindanao Inquirer inZamboanga Del Sur (December 10, 2010);
• Dr. Gerry Ortega of Puerto Princesa, Palawan (January 24, 2011);
• Cirilo Gallardo of DWWW FM in Abra (February 1, 2011);
• Len Flores Somera of DZME in Manila (March 24, 2011);
• Romeo Olea of DWEB-FM in Bicol (June 13, 2011);
• Neil Aranga Jimena of dyRP Iloilo and dyAG in Cadiz City (August 22, 2011);
• Datu Roy Quijada Gallego, a radio commentator in Caraga Region (October 14, 2011); at Alfredo “Dodong” Velarde Jr. of Brigada News in Gen. Santos City (November 11, 2011).

  “Journalists die at a more serious and alarming rate these days. This is a sad fact,” ani Joel Sy Egco ng NPC. “The President must walk the talk. His campaign against corruption must include wiping out the inept and corrupt government officials and private individuals who caused the deaths of these journalists.”   Si Egco ang nagtatag noong 2005 ng Association of Responsible Media (Armed), isang grupo ng mga mamamahayag na nagsusulong na armasan ang mga miyembro ng media bilang proteksiyon nila.   Samantala, hinikayat naman ni NPC President Jerry Yap sa gobyerno na habulin ang masterminds at perpetrators sa pagpatay sa mga mamamahayag.   "It is high time for the establishment of a more powerful ‘superbody’ on media killings that the President and Justice Secretary Leila De Lima initially supported but later abandoned for reasons unknown,” ani Yap.   'Ugly trend'   Samantala, inihayag ni AFIMA President Benny Antiporda na dapat umaksiyon na ang gobyerno para mabawasan ang aniya’y "frightful and ugly" na trend na pagpatay ng mga mamamahayag.   “There is an uptrend in media killings. Comparatively, the number of slain journalists under PNoy at this early was equivalent only to the number of journalists killed in almost three years of the Arroyo regime," ani Antiporda.   "There is a huge difference. This is a wake-up call to the President, the Philippine National Police, the DOJ and all agencies concerned," dagdag pa niya. — Amanda Fernandez/KBK, GMA News