Filipino fear over activist killings
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/5345962.stm Version 0 of 1. By Sarah Toms BBC News, Manila Journalism can be a dangerous occupation in the Philippines where a number of reporters as well as political activists have been murdered, arousing international concern. Philippine President Gloria Arroyo has promised an investigation Last year I met Pablo Hernandez, a columnist for a newspaper here in Manila. I will never forget him. He would tap away on a manual typewriter at his office with an Ingram machine pistol on his desk and a .45 on his hip. He often wore a bullet-proof vest into work. Pabs, as he is known, has good reason to be wary. He has been getting death threats for years over his stories about corruption and smuggling. He has survived a knife attack and traded shots with gunmen on a motorcycle. International media groups say the Philippines is one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists. Barely a week or even a day goes by without activists being shot The nine or more murders so far this year - most for reporting on crime and political graft - compare with the 10 killings in all of last year. Nearly 1,000 left wing activists, community workers, lawyers and journalists have gone missing or been murdered since President Gloria Arroyo came to power in 2001. Her government denies any official or military sanction for the killings and has promised action. But President Arroyo and her officials have been criticised for failing to stop the attacks or putting many of those involved in prison. Barely a week or even a day goes by without activists being shot. Last month, Amnesty International said it was gravely concerned that soldiers and police could be involved. Coup plot The government has stepped up its campaign against the New People's Army after nearly 40 years of insurgency and 40,000 deaths. The New People's Army has about 8,000 fighters Mrs Arroyo says the communist rebels were part of a coup plot in February and has ordered her generals to crush them. One analyst I know well, joined the NPA's political wing, the Communist Party of the Philippines, as a student in the late 1970s. Like many Filipinos of his generation, he wanted to help end the human rights abuses being carried out under former president Ferdinand Marcos. But he says the situation is now far worse because activists are caught between the military and the NPA. The rebels told his company to pay thousands of dollars in what they call "revolutionary war taxes". He refused, saying he had done nothing but support the leftist cause. He has relatives and friends in legal leftist groups who he says have been threatened by rogue elements of the military. An acquaintance of his was killed and a member of his family is hiding out at his house. The relative was threatened and told to leave his farm in the central Philippines. Now, the analyst says, the military is harvesting his relative's crops. Differing techniques The sense of threat is pervasive as some in the military and the police view many leftist organisations as fronts for the NPA. The government blames the communists for the surge in killings, saying the movement is purging its ranks as it did in the 1980s. It is hard to know what to believe, but my analyst friend said it is easy to tell who is responsible as the NPA and the military have different techniques. Soldiers have shaped Philippine politics in the past The rebels kill on foot, he says, while rogue factions in the security forces prefer gunmen on motorcycles. For President Arroyo, the killings present a dilemma. She faces international pressure to stop them but also must keep the military onside after surviving two impeachment attempts and many alleged coup plots. She may be right to be wary as soldiers have shaped Philippine politics in the past by helping to chase two presidents from office. Last month, President Arroyo set up a commission to investigate the murders of journalists and activists. But few people expect the killings to stop any time soon. Self defence Foreign journalists, however falsely, tend to feel secure in the Philippines and I have never been threatened. For Filipino journalists, it is a different story. Pabs Hernandez says he could not count on the army or police for protection. Many were far better shots than me and had their own guns So he decided to learn how to use a gun and to have several close at hand. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, like the BBC, rejects the idea of reporters taking the law into their own hands. Still, the police here have recommended self-protection - and marksmanship - for the media. I met up with Pabs at a shooting range in the main military camp in Manila, where about 20 reporters, photographers and editors were blasting away at cardboard cutouts. I hit the target a few times as a lucky novice but many were far better shots than me and had their own guns. That was a year ago and Pabs says it is even more dangerous now. Despite carrying a gun, he rarely visits his office. Instead he faxes his newspaper column from safe houses and travels with three bodyguards whenever he does go home. The threats keep coming and he says they are not likely to stop until he is dead. From Our Own Correspondent was broadcast on Saturday, 17 September, 2006 at 1130 BST on BBC Radio 4. Please check the <a HREF="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/3187926.stm">programme schedules </a> for World Service transmission times. |