Aquino to journalists: Monitor your own ranks

President Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III, in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA), asked journalists to monitor their own ranks to put an end to the spate of media killings since June. "Inaasahan ko po ang ating mga kaibigan sa media, lalo na sa radyo at sa print, sa mga nagbablock-time, at sa community newspapers, kayo na po mismo ang magbantay sa inyong hanay (I am expecting our friends in the media, especially in radio and print, the block-timers and those in community newspapers, to monitor their own ranks.) ," said Aquino on Monday. According to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, 137 journalists have been killed since democracy was restored in 1986. Of this number, 104 killings occurred during former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's administration alone. Since Aquino assumed office last June 30, six media persons and activists have been killed. "Natukoy na rin po ang salarin sa mga kaso nina Francisco Baldomero, Jose Daguio at Miguel Belen, tatlo sa anim na insidente ng extralegal killings mula nang umupo tayo. Singkuwenta porsyento po ng mga insidente ng extralegal killings ang patungo na sa kanilang resolusyon, (We have also already identified the suspects of the cases of Francisco Baldomero, Jose Daguio and Miguel Belen, three of the six incidents of extralegal killings since we assumed the Presidency)," said Aquino. "Ang natitira pong kalahati ay hindi natin tatantanan ang pag-usig hanggang makamit ang katarungan. Pananagutin natin ang mga mamamatay-tao. Pananagutin din natin ang mga corrupt sa gobyerno. (We will not stop the pursuit of the remaining half of these killings until justice has been achieved. We will hold murderers accountable. We will also hold those who are corrupt that work in government accountable for their actions)," he added. Baldomero, a councilor, is a coordinator of the militant group Bayan Muna in Lezo, Aklan. Daguio is a retired radio commentator from Tabuk City in Kalinga province. Belen is a radio reporter from Camarines Sur. The other unsolved killings are those of Pascual Guevarra, who was shot dead inside a military reservation in Laur town, Nueva Ecija; Mark Francisco of ACT-Teachers party-list in Masbate; and Zosimo Inginiero, Baldomero’s cousin, who was found dead in Aklan two weeks ago. The Philippines was tagged by international media groups as one of the most dangerous places for media workers after the November 23 massacre in Ampatuan, Maguindanao that left 57 people dead, 32 of whom were journalists. –VVP, GMANews.TV