Media group calls for protection of Maguindanao massacre victim's family

An international media watchdog group voiced concern on Monday over the reported surveillance by unidentified men on the house of a victim of the 2009 Maguindanao massacre. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) asked that authorities immediately investigate the supposed surveillance on the house of Victor Nuñez, one of the victims of the massacre on November 23, 2009. “The IFJ demands that authorities identify these men immediately and dedicate the necessary resources to ensure the safety of the Nunez family," IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said in an article posted on the IFJ website. “Attempts to intimidate the parents of Victor Nuñez so soon after the tragic loss of their son must be taken seriously in a country where violent criminal acts are too often met with impunity," she added. Nuñez, a journalist of UNTV-37, was one of the victims in the Ampatuan town massacre where 57 people were killed, including at least 32 journalists. A 58th victim, a photographer, is missing until now. The IFJ cited reports from its affiliate National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) that the Nuñez family saw two men on a motorcycle outside their Cagayan de Oro home several times in the past week, most recently twice on the morning of December 10. The neighbors reported that the men asked about the exact location of the Nuñez family home and the layout of the surrounding streets. This prompted Catherine, the mother of the late reporter, to inform the local authorities about the matter but she claimed that no action had been taken to provide security support. Last year's massacre remains the worst known atrocity committed against journalists and media workers, the IFJ said. The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 120 countries. – VVP, GMANews.TV