Legacy written in blood

EDITORIAL

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06/18/2010

Among the lasting imprint of the Arroyo administration that hopefully the next generations of Filipinos will not endure but only read in the annals of history, is the culture of impunity that made the Philippines one of the most dangerous places on earth and a no man’s land for journalists.

Last November, 32 journalists were murdered in broad daylight in Maguindanao over a political feud between two warlord families who were instrumental in the elections cheating machinery that stole for Gloria a fresh six-year term in 2004.

The massacre that created a worldwide outrage, however, does not seem to be the last of such senseless assaults on the media, as just the other day two broadcast journalists were killed in separate attacks at opposite ends of the country within the space of 24 hours.

Desidario Camangyan, 52, was shot dead by a lone gunman who walked onstage as the victim hosted a village singing contest in Davao Oriental while Lito Agustin, 37, was ambushed and shot dead as he rode a motorcycle home.

Camangyan was known for being outspoken against illegal logging and mining, while Agustin had been similarly very vocal in exposing corruption in his hometown in Laoag City.

Never in the country’s history have journalists been such easy targets by the moneyed and those that wield power. Even during the supposed darkest years of human rights violations during the martial law years have the lives of media practitioners, if not any Filipino, been so cheapened as to be bought for a sum of money.

The gross inaction, if not tolerance, of Gloria’s administration of such malevolence, particularly if done by a political ally, summarized the way that she ran the government for the past nine years.

During her watch, the brand of transactional politics was introduced in which limitless rewards were paid for political loyalty that would include the taking of human lives.

The authors of the Maguindanao massacre remain mostly free to this day despite the many witnesses who have come out to identify them. The one in jail, Andal Ampatuan Jr., was among the gunmen but he is certainly not the only brain behind the gruesome crime.

More than 50 died in the massacre, including 30 journalists, but the facts that the judicial proceedings against a clan perceived to be Gloria’s political allies does not escape Filipinos and international institutions monitoring government actions on it.

Reporters Without Borders noted that Gloria’s administration initially reacted firmly on the incident condemning it as a “supreme act of inhumanity that is a blight on our nation,” and promising that “the perpetrators (would) not escape justice.”

It wrote Gloria to indicate its fear that demands for justice were being eroded by political considerations, citing the withdrawal of the mass murder charges against Zaldy and Akmad Ampatuan. The charges were later retained after a worldwide outrage pressured the Department of Justice to reconsider its ruling.

Despite the worldwide ripples, mostly from media groups, that the massacre created, the killings have not stopped and the recent spate of atrocities against Camangyan and Agustin indicates that the reign of terror under Gloria is far from over.

The next administration would have as its biggest challenge reversing the global notoriety the country has attained in terms of trampling of human rights.

A sad fact about the state of human rights under Gloria is that she needed to be reminded by Filipinos and the world of the need for the respect of civil rights. Without outside pressure, if the administration is left by itself, political compromise will always prevail over the rights of people.

Many are hoping against hope that Gloria takes with her the culture of impunity she raised during her nine years in power when she leaves the presidency on June 30.

It would be for the Aquino administration to undo it.

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