The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) demands the Philippines president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo act immediately to protect media safety, following this week’s distressing news of the murder of journalist Carmelo Palacios, and attempted murder of journalist Delfin Mallari Jr.
According to IFJ affiliate the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), Palacios was found dead in St. Rosa town, Nueva Ecija province on April 17.
Antonio Zumel Center for Press Freedom
Press Statement
18 April 2007
The Antonio Zumel Center for Press Freedom (AZCPF) strongly condemns the recent attacks on media people and journalists. The assassins want to prevent the media from bringing to the public the true state of the nation and the criminal activities being committed by those in power.
National Union of Journalists of the Philippines
This week marks another dark period for press freedom in the Philippines, with the murder of a colleague, the attempted murder of another and a libel case filed by a governor against yet another.
Carmelo Palacios, 41, field reporter of the government-run Radyo ng Bayan, was found dead in Sta. Rosa town, Nueva Ecija, Wednesday morning, his body battered and shot in the chin. He was the 51st journalist to be killed under the Arroyo administration’s increasingly blood-drenched watch, and the third this year.
In a resolution promulgated today, the Supreme Court granted Sen. Franklin Drilon’s petition to prevent the Comelec from implementing its resolution ordering a new election of Liberal Party officers.
The high court said Drilon has until November 30, 2007 to serve his term as LP president under Daza-Drilon constitution, which replaced the Liberal Party’s Salonga constitution. (Source: GMANews.tv report)
Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, head of the Atienza faction referred to by critics as Lakas Pala, said his camp will file a motion for reconsideration.
Results of a Social Weather Stations national survey in February 2007 revealed that 86% of registered voters said they would surely vote. In 2004, 94% said they would surely vote.
Some Findings from Pulse Asia’s April 2007 Nationwide Survey on Filipinos’ Party-List Preferences
We’re starting a “Pierce the Candidates” series to help our readers get to know our senatorial candidates better. Each posting will be updated as we gather new information about a particular candidate. For our first piercing, we’d like to start with administration bet Prospero “Butch” A. Pichay, Jr.
Pichay was born on June 20, 1950 in Cantilan, Surigao del Sur. He has a son named Carlo, who is proud of his father.
Pichay, a Commerce graduate of De la Salle University, has been the representative of the first district of Surigao del Sur since 1998. Before entering the Congress he was a businessman. He was the owner of Carlo Commercial Printing and Carlo Publishing, which reportedly published the tabloid Remate.
