“Most Murderous Country”

Philippines is now the “most murderous country of all” for journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Iraq comes only second to us, followed by Colombia, Bangladesh, and Russia.

Here is CPJ’s summary on the Philippine situation:

In the Philippines, 18 journalists have been slain for their work since 2000. All had reported on government and police corruption, drug dealing, and the activities of crime syndicates.

Many were rural radio commentators or reporters who were ambushed in drive-by assassinations. Philippine journalists attribute the violence to a nationwide breakdown in law and order, the wide circulation of illegal arms, and the failure to convict a single person in the murders.

The Philippine victims include Edgar Damalerio, the managing editor of the weekly newspaper Zamboanga Scribe and a commentator on DXKP radio station in Pagadian City—a violent port on the southern island of Mindanao. Damalerio, who was known for denouncing corruption, was gunned down on a crowded street across from the local police station in May 2002. The trial of one suspect, a former police officer, could begin this year. Damalerio is among six journalists murdered since 2000 in Mindanao, a region rife with crime and lawlessness.