Journalist's disappearance in RP worries int'l media group

The disappearance of a Mindanao-based journalist on the eve of the country's first nationwide automated elections has worried an international media group, which asked the incoming president to stop the impunity behind violence against journalists. International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) also voiced grave concern about the reports of early election-related violence against media personnel. "The IFJ again calls on all candidates standing for election today to publicly commit to ending the culture of impunity for attacks against journalists in the Philippines, where 137 journalists have been killed for their work since 1986," IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said said in an article on the IFJ Website Monday night. It noted that of the number, 100 have been killed during the administration of outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the IFJ noted. IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 125 countries worldwide Rolando Gono, radio stringer and writer for the weekly Azilam Review in Cagayan de Oro City, was reported missing on May 9. A colleague, Rene Abris, said he got a message from Gono asking for help after being accosted by a group of unknown people. Abris and Gono reportedly went to the Catarman police station to report an assault on Herbert Hugo Dumaguing and his son, Hubert, who both work for Cagayan de Oro cable station TV13. They linked a powerful politician in Camiguin and several men to the attack, saying the Dumaguings saw some local officials allegedly distributing envelopes to Catarman residents. The Dumaguings and Abris are now under the protection of Catarman police, who have reportedly arrested one man in connection with Gono's disappearance, the IFJ said, citing information from the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP). —KBK, GMANews.TV