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NUJP urges gov’t to strengthen enforcement of laws protecting media

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<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2864635" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>MANILA -- The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) is calling on the government to strengthen the enforcement of laws protecting the media in the wake of the killing of another broadcaster.Kath Cortez, NUJP Mindanao Safety Office Chief, said there are a lot of laws that protect the media in the Philippines, but the enforcement of the law and the sincerity of the government to ensure that perpetrators are punished is lacking.“We have a lot of laws that protect our community. What is lacking is the enforcement itself and ‘yung sincerity na mayroon talagang mapanagot,” she told Teleradyo Serbisyo on Sunday night.“Kung babalikan nga natin ang kasaysayan ng media attacks, it’s a struggle para sa hustisya. Lagi’t lagi nagiging banner story lang ‘yung bawat kaso. After that, wala na, kasi walang push mula mismo sa gobyerno na talagang i-enforce ‘yung law that protects the freedom of the press,” Cortez added.Radio broadcaster Juan Jumalon was shot dead while broadcasting on radio station 94.7 Calamba Gold FM in his residence at Barangay Don Bernardo A. Neri in Calamba town, Misamis Occidental.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/05/23/radio-broadcaster-killed-in-misamis-occidental-police">Radio broadcaster killed in Misamis Occidental: police</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/05/23/special-task-group-to-probe-killing-of-misamis-occidental-broadcaster">Marcos Jr. tells PNP to conduct thorough probe on radio broadcaster&#x27;s killing</a></li></ul>The police said they already conducted a dragnet operation and set up checkpoints for the suspect&#x27;s possible apprehension while investigation is underway. If found to be work-related, Jumalon&#x27;s murder would be the 199th in the Philippines since 1986.The government has yet to solve the death of several media personalities killed during the Marcos Jr. administration, including that of Percival “<a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/03/23/call-for-justice-remains-a-year-since-percy-lapid-slay" target="_blank">Percy Lapid</a>” Mabasa and <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/31/23/radio-broadcaster-killed-in-oriental-mindoro" target="_blank">Cresenciano Bunduquin</a>, among others.“Pagod na tayo doon sa pagbibilang na lang lagi ng mga nagiging biktima ng media attacks,” Cortez also said.According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, which released the Global Impunity Index earlier this week, &quot;the Philippines remains a dangerous place to work as a reporter, especially for radio journalists.&quot;The Philippines was eighth on the &quot;countries with the worst records on prosecuting killers of journalists.&quot; This was up from 8th in 2022 with the entry of Haiti into the index this year. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/03/22/ph-is-7th-worst-country-for-journalist-murders-report">Philippines still 7th in media watchdog&#x27;s 2022 global impunity index</a></li></ul>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the Philippine National Police to conduct a probe into Jumalon&#x27;s killing, while a special investigation task group (SITG) was also formed.The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) said it already alerted the National Bureau of Investigation to help gather evidence. The Department of Justice, meanwhile, vowed to ensure a thorough investigation and swift apprehension and prosecution of the perpetrators as it condemned the crime.

The NUJP is calling on the government to strengthen the enforcement of laws protecting the media in the wake of the killing of another broadcaster.