Index on Censorship » philippines

Philippines: Radio reporter murdered

Alice Purkiss — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:07:32 +0000

A radio journalist was murdered in the Philippines on Tuesday. Nestor Libaton, a news reporter for Catholic-run radio station dxHM in Mati City, was shot several times by men on a motorbike. The journalist was on the back of a motorbike being driven by his co-anchor, Eldon Cruz, after the pair had conducted an interview in a nearby city. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) believe the incident occurred as a result of the journalists work. Libaton is the fourth journalist to be killed in the Philippines since the start of 2012.

The post Philippines: Radio reporter murdered appeared first on Index on Censorship.

Philippines: Gunmen seriously wound journalist

Alice Purkiss — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:38:52 +0000

Gunmen have shot and seriously injured a journalist in the Philippines. Fernan Angeles, a reporter with The Daily Tribune, was beaten and shot six times by unidentified men near his home in Manila on Sunday night. Angeles, who is assigned to cover President Benigno Aquino III, remains in intensive care. Angeles’ wife speculated that her husband’s attackers were linked to a drug syndicate from their working-class community, who may believe the journalist had leaked information about the syndicate’s operation to authorities.

The post Philippines: Gunmen seriously wound journalist appeared first on Index on Censorship.

UN: Philippines journalist defamation conviction a violation of free speech

Alice Purkiss — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:23:10 +0000

The United Nations Human Rights Committee have found that the defamation conviction of a Philippines journalist violated the journalist’s right to free expression. In the landmark ruling, the UN committee said that the prison sentence handed to journalist Alexander Adonis of Bombo Radyo, following his reporting on an alleged affair between a Philippine congressman and a married woman, was “incompatible” with Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The UNHRC has given the Philippine government 180 days to provide “information about the measures taken to give effect to the Committee’s views”.

The post UN: Philippines journalist defamation conviction a violation of free speech appeared first on Index on Censorship.

Philippines: Journalist murdered during car chase after receiving death threats

Sara Yasin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:56:55 +0000

A Filipino journalist was murdered on 5 January, local reports suggest he was chased down by unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle. Christopher Guarin, publisher and editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Tatak News Nationwide, died in front of his wife and two children. Guarin’s colleagues claim that the journalist received an anonymous threat during his radio programme warning Guarin that he would be killed when leaving the station shortly before his murder.

The post Philippines: Journalist murdered during car chase after receiving death threats appeared first on Index on Censorship.

Philippines: Broadcaster shot dead

Alice Purkiss — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:17:53 +0000

A radio commentator in the Philippines was shot dead on 14 October. Datu Roy Bagtikan Gallego was shot dead on the national highway in Sitio Mamprasanon, in Lianga town during an ambush. Gallego, who often criticised mining operations and spoke in defence of tribal rights was due to start a new slot on a radio program this week with 92.7 Smile FM San Francisco. Gallego’s death comes one week after the murder of fellow journalist Johnson Pascual. Lianga Police have not yet identified any suspects or a motive for the murder.

The post Philippines: Broadcaster shot dead appeared first on Index on Censorship.

Philippines: Newspaper editor gunned down

Alice Purkiss — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:45:44 +0000

A newspaper editor was shot on Friday while driving through the Philippines‘ main island, Luzon. Johnson Pascual, editor-in-chief of local newspaper, Prime News, was shot by two men on a motorcycle in Isabela province, Northern Philippines on Friday morning. Following the shooting, where Pascual was hit in the head and torso, the journalist lost control of his vehicle and drove it into a ravine, where he died. It is currently unclear whether Pascual’s murder was related to his work as a journalist.

The post Philippines: Newspaper editor gunned down appeared first on Index on Censorship.

Philippines: Libel law used against journalist

Marta Cooper — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 08:58:28 +0000

In what is reportedly the first time that a Philippine Supreme Court justice has filed a libel case against anyone including a journalist, reporter Marites Danguilan Vitug was forced to post P10,000 (145 GBP) bail on Friday on charges that she had defamed Supreme Court Justice Presbitero Velasco in a recent book. In the book, Shadow of Doubt, Vitug quoted residents of the Marinduque constituency as saying the Supreme Court justice was active in inviting two local officials to run with his son as councillor and promising to underwrite campaign expenses.

The post Philippines: Libel law used against journalist appeared first on Index on Censorship.

Philippines: Radio commentator fatally shot

Marta Cooper — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:06:58 +0000

Two gunmen on a motorcycle shot radio commentator Niel Jimena, 42, on Monday night near his home in the Negros Island town of E.B. Magalona, Philippines. He was riding his own motorcycle when he was shot, and died of multiple gunshot wounds before arriving at a local hospital. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said in a statement that police have not determined a motive in the case or whether the killing was work-related. Jimena broadcast political commentary on DYRI-RMN Radio in nearby Iloilo City.

The post Philippines: Radio commentator fatally shot appeared first on Index on Censorship.

Philippines: Art exhibit deemed offensive censored

Marta Cooper — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 11:41:12 +0000

Officials at the state-run Cultural Centre of the Philippines shut an art exhibit on Tuesday after it provoked heated debate, threats and hate mail for combining Christian symbols with phallic objects. The decision by the centre’s board of directors came a day after former first lady and art patron Imelda Marcos joined politicians and Roman Catholic church leaders in denouncing the exhibit. The board said it made the decision because of “an increasing number of threats to persons and property,” including the artists and staff. It said the threats increased after critics vandalised an installation by removing a wooden penis from a poster depicting Jesus Christ.

The post Philippines: Art exhibit deemed offensive censored appeared first on Index on Censorship.

Philippines: Radio journalist killed

Index on Censorship — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 11:05:24 +0000

A radio journalist for DWEB, a private station based in Manila, was shot twice in the back on his way to work. Romeo Olea’s wife said that he had received death threats and police believe the murder is linked to Olea’s recent stories criticising a city government in the east Philippines.

The post Philippines: Radio journalist killed appeared first on Index on Censorship.