Democracy under Aquino rule a tenuous claim

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines-Quezon Chapter strongly condemns the fatal attack against our colleague Rubylita Garcia, 52, a reporter for Remate.

We demand a thorough investigation to determine the motive of this violent assault against press freedom and unmask the suspects and the masterminds behind Garcia’s gruesome murder.

Garcia sustained at least four gunshot wounds when unidentified gunmen barged into her home in Barangay Talaba, Bacoor, Cavite, around 10:15 a.m. of April 6, 2014, and shot her. The victim underwent an operation at St. Dominic Hospital in the city but died past 3 p.m.

Ironic as it may seem, when President Aquino took the reins of government, it was said that “democracy” was back in the Philippines, a claim, however, that has become more and more tenuous with each media killing.

But the Aquino administration, which came to power on the promise of upholding justice and human rights, has chosen not only to downplay the enormity of the problem but also to denigrate the victims by deigning to dismiss some of them as “not legitimate” media practitioners or their murder as “not work-related.”

It is all too clear to us that the promises that come from President’s mouth are all empty. Mr. Aquino is just as guilty as those who gave the orders to kill and those who pulled the trigger.

Any unresolved attack or killing of a journalist abets the culture of impunity, thus encouraging more violence against media workers.

We demand justice for Rubylita Garcia and all our colleagues who have fallen victims to heinous media killings.

—RONILO L. DAGOS,

chair, Jason Q. Vallecer, secretary general,

National Union of Journalists of the Philippines-Quezon Chapter, [email protected]