Journalists begin year-long remembrance of 2009 Maguindanao massacre

Members of the press gathered at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani in Quezon City on Wednesday to remember their comrades killed in what has been described as the single deadliest attack on journalists in the world: the 2009 Maguindanao Massacre.

Fifty-eight people, including 32 journalists, were brutally killed in the bloodbath which is also considered the worst incident of election-related violence in Philippine history.

On Wednesday, leaders of press organizations issued statements decrying the continued killing of journalists, as well as the lack of a promulgation on the Ampatuan case after almost a decade.

The demonstration was followed by a traditional candle-lighting ceremony to honor the victims.

Also standing at the foot of the Bantayog's iconic sculpture of a mother raising up a fallen son were three candles signifying the grim state of “press freedom,” “rule of law” and “accountability” in the country.

Members of the media light candles at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani, reiterating their call for press freedom, rule of law and accountability @gmanews pic.twitter.com/CXtCsdqcb9

— M. Claire Layug (@MClaireLayug) January 23, 2019

The event was organized by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and was attended by members of the Photojournalists Center of the Philippines (PCP), the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), the Center for Community Journalism and Development (CCJD), and the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Mass Communication, among others.

The groups plan to hold similar gatherings on the 23rd day of each month until the 10th anniversary of the massacre on November 23, 2019. — BM, GMA News