From a low of 156th place in 2010 after the Maguindanao massacre, the Philippines improved to 140th in the following year’s World Press Freedom Index drawn up by Reporters Without Borders. But the country dropped to 147th in the next index, and has now slipped to 149th in the latest ranking.
Press freedom watchdogs count about two dozen journalists killed in the first 40 months of the Aquino administration. Based on the number of attacks rather than victims, that’s the worst record yet since democracy was restored in 1986, according to press freedom advocates. The 2009 massacre in Maguindanao, wherein more than half of the 57 victims were media workers, remains the most atrocious attack ever on journalists. But the country under the watch of President Aquino has consistently remained high on all international studies on impunity and threats to press freedom.
The Aquino administration has always acknowledged that more must me done to end the impunity, with the principal approach being the arrest of murderers including the masterminds. But the record of the administration in apprehending and prosecuting murderers has so far been hugely disappointing.
That failure has guaranteed more attacks on journalists, especially in communities where political kingpins control every aspect of the criminal justice system. Members of organized crime rings have also learned that they can get away with permanently silencing journalists who pose a threat to their illegal activities.
Democracy is undermined when there is no one to report freely on abuse of power and bad governance. If only for this, ending impunity in attacks on journalists should be a priority for the only son of two democracy icons.