A DEPUTY Minority Leader of the House of Representatives on Tuesday urged the administration to take serious and concrete action to ensure justice for victims of violence against journalists and media workers.
House Deputy Minority Leader Leila M. de Lima, in a statement, strongly condemned the shooting of broadcaster Noel Bellen Samar in Guinobatan, Albay, describing it as another grim reminder of the persistent dangers faced by journalists in the country.
The condemnation also came as Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, operator of dwIZ, denounced the ambush that wounded Samar, one of its block-timers, on Monday in barangay Morera, Guinobatan.
‘We strongly condemn the shooting of broadcaster Noel Bellen Samar yesterday in Guinobatan, Albay. We pray for his immediate recovery and call on the Philippine National Police to ensure his safety,’ De Lima, the nominee to the House of the party-list group Mamamayang Liberal, said.
The lawmaker lamented that the attack was a reflection of the worsening culture of impunity and hostility against the media.
‘This incident is yet another proof of why the Philippines remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists,’ she said. ‘It’s as if we’ve become used to hearing news about journalists being killed. As if it’s normal to red-tag or harass those who expose the truth. As if it’s acceptable that justice is so elusive, because until now, many perpetrators remain unidentified and many cases of media killings unresolved.’
De Lima warned that such attacks, along with the continued harassment and red-tagging of media workers, have a ‘chilling effect on the Fourth Estate’-a key institution in any democracy.
‘This impunity must end. The Marcos Jr. administration must take serious and concrete steps to bring justice to the victims of violence against journalists and media personnel. The State should provide adequate protection for this noble profession,’ she added.