In a research by the Committee to Protect Journalists (2015), the highest percentages of different statistical analysis about journalist killings in the Philippines are the following: 65% of the suspected source of fire came from government officials, 97% of the deaths is murder, 89% of the deaths have experienced impunity, and 61% of the issues covered by the victims is politics. Judging from the information, it shows that there is a rival between the government and the media. And one reason that adds support to this idea is the fact that the country is rampant with the problems of corruption in the government. Furthermore, the Philippines is in fourth place among the countries with the least amount of media murders solved, with Somalia, Iraq, and Syria placed as first to third, respectively, according to a web article by Rappler (2015) as cited on the 2015 Global Impunity Index. One of the most controversial event in relation to the topic at hand is the Ampatuan Massacre. It has been seven years since the killings in Maguindanao happened; wherein more than two dozen of people in the media expertise were killed in a horrendous way. And ever since, the suspected men behind the murder, such as Andal Ampatuan, Jr., has been delayed from receiving their punishment. Justice has not yet been served for years to the families of the people killed.
The newly-elected president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, is popular in the issue of media killings for his obscene comments on murder of corrupt journalists. “Pala was given money, but he still attacked them. That is the best example why journalists are killed. I do not diminish his memory but that he was a rotten son of a b****. He deserved it,” the president stated on one of the issues regarding Juan Pala having done corrupt journalism (CNN, 2016). The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines came into the picture to defend, stating that corrupt journalists are still in the wrong, however a bad deed cannot and does not justify another. Departments and organizations take part in minimizing the act of impunity and cases of media killings by highlighting the importance of human rights. Journalists, like any other person, has the right to life and therefore do not justify any wrong doings they’ve done when they are murdered or even threatened. Corrupt journalism is not the only issue that has to be considered when media killing is of concern. Journalism makes use of the media to publish the truth and inform the audience. However, the deed of impunity and murder of journalists diminishes the chance of ever getting the truth out into the public. In some cases where there is an occurrence of media killings, investigative journalism may also be involved. Investigative journalism is one of the root causes of media killings for the reason that journalists tend to discover information that are too confidential for the public to know. And sometimes, these information are truths that could expose many high ranked people and get them fired or put to jail. These kind of information could be corrupt actions such as theft, murder and illegal works among others. Such truths that could contribute to the achievement of justice in a community would always be hindered by media killings and impunity.
As a social journalism student, media killings and impunity happening in the society concerns me not only because of the fact that it may cause possible problems and threats to my future career and to other aspiring journalists, but also for the reason that our country continues to tolerate this kind of corruption in our society. With countless headlines stacking up, this kind of injustice tends to be covered, then repressed and shrugged off as another news in the television. Nevertheless, thousands of people, especially students, rally and stand up in response to the killings; however, if the citizens are not the inaction one, then its the government. Corruption has its own ways of being effectively removed in the society. But when an act of violation is left unpunished or when justice is served unfairly, it's no step forward to peace.
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