Statement of the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists (FFFJ)
on the killing of Christopher “Cris” Guarin

THE KILLING of General Santos newspaper publisher and RMN blocktimer Christopher Guarin hardly a week since the new year began is one more indication of the persistence of the culture of impunity that encourages the killing of journalists and media workers in the Philippines.

Today is the first death anniversary of Leo B. Dacera III.

The longest serving director of the Department of Justice Witness Protection, Security and Benefits Program, he was fondly called “Sir PD,” PD being shorthand for Program Director.

As PD, Atty. Dacera directed the operations of the DOJ WPSBP with knowledge and insight. With a clear understanding of the Philippine criminal justice system, he believed that the program should go beyond keeping witnesses physically safe. In his view, witness protection was not only about securing witnesses so they can testify in court. He understood their needs. They were persons who had also lost their lives, and had been cut off from loved ones, and from family and community.

Statement of the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists on the Denial of the Petition for Certiorari and Prohibition filed by the alleged masterminds in the killing of Marlene Esperat

TweetThirty-six members of the International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX) together with the Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) urged members of the Philippine Court of Appeals to “recognize the obligation of the judiciary to uphold the right to freedom of expression, in accordance with [...]

TweetStatement of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, May 3, 2011 AS IN THE PAST, WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY 2011 is being commemorated after a year (May 2010-May 2011) of global and national turmoil. Iraq and Afghanistan continued to occupy media attention and to subject journalists [...]

TweetAS THE NATION takes its annual Holy Week retreat, the advocates for justice for slain journalists and press freedom protection recall their hopes in your assumption to power and your promise for renewal and change. You campaigned not only on a promise to fight corruption, but also to uphold human rights and the rule of [...]

TweetStatement of the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists, National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and the November 23 Movement March 2, 2011 THE AMPATUAN Massacre trial has entered a crucial phase. This week, barely two weeks after the 15th month since 58 men and women including 32 journalists and media workers were brutally murdered [...]

TweetStatement of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) on the 15th month since the Ampatuan Massacre of November 23, 2009 THE TRIAL of those formally accused in the Ampatuan Massacre, numbering 51 out of the 195 individuals suspected of involvement in it, is ongoing and should be discouraging the further killing of journalists.  [...]

TweetStatement of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility in commemoration of the  first anniversary of the Ampatuan Massacre THE 2009 Ampatuan Massacre of 58 men and women including 32 journalists was a reminder and a warning to both the Philippine press and the entire country. The Philippines is officially a democracy, but the pockets [...]

TweetBy the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) For more information please contact CMFR: (+63 2) 894-1314/894-1326/840-0903/840-0889 staff@cmfr-phil.org www.cmfr-phil.org www.twitter.com/cmfr THE CENTER for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) reiterates its warning, made in many other instances in the past, that media failure to regulate themselves will invite government intervention. It is in fact happening [...]