Justice still eludes Maguindanao victims
MAGUINDANAO Families of the Maguindanao massacre victims set on fire images of the Ampatuan clan as they continue the call for justice to give peace to the 58 who died nine years ago.
As emotions rose on Sunday, Eleanor Dalmacio’s daughters played like it was a picnic, far from the reality of the activity intended by over a hundred who came to commemorate the 9th
anniversary of the massacre in Mindanao.
10 – year – old Renalyn and 9 – year – old Frazita were busy building stone totems in front of their mother’s marker while a program is ongoing, oblivious to condemnation of her grizzly death by a convergence of media organizations.
Eleanor, a reporter, for the Socsargen News Today, was part of the convoy of Genalin Mangudadatu on November 23, 2009 where she and 32 other journalists were shot and buried at the hillside, now known as the Maguindanao massacre.
Today, Brenda Dalmacio – Acma stands as official guardian of the two children with the eldest, now married. “They were babies when their mother died, but Renalyn says she remembers,” Acma adds.
Brenda says Renalyn swears she remembers her mother riding a motorcycle or says she recalls scenes around the house when she was still alive.
“She understands what happened to her now,” Acma added.
Brenda, a government worker, says there is no update to the Ampatuan case, but has slowly explained to the children what happened to their mother.
It was nine years ago when all 58 who joined the convoy, including the 32 journalists and media workers covering the filing of the Certificate of Candidacy of Genalin Mangudadatu’s husband for the 2010 Maguindanao gubernatorial race at the regional office of the Commission for Elections (Comelec) in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao Province lost their lives.
National Union for Journalists, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, the Philippine Press Institute, The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism with Mindanao newspaper, MInda News, led the commemoration of the massacre and stood united with families of the victims in the call for justice and media safety.
The CMFR reported 99 cases of attacks against the press since 2016, with 66 reported and verified for Luzon, 12 for the Visayas and 21 in Mindanao.
Threats to radio media practitioners top the list with 33, followed by print media with 30, online media platforms with 23. Television workers with 11, a lone case against a photojournalist and online worker.
Attackers were identified to be government agents, online trolls, private citizens, NPA members and still unidentified individuals who have put into threat men and women in the industry.
T h e commemoration was also highlighted by the launch of the NUJP of the ‘Sign Against the Sign,” urging Congress to repeal the law that includes journalists among the possible witnesses in anti-drug operations.
Journalists and industry leaders signed a manifesto calling for an end to the practice of making journalists witnesses to drug-bust operations, which has put a number of them in danger.
NUJP Chairperson Nonoy Espina explained media groups have consistently opposed this practice when it was made a requirement under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.