Media groups ‘hopeful’ for justice, mark Ampatuan massacre's 9th month

Local and international media groups are now more hopeful justice can finally be attained for the victims of the Maguindanao massacre, nine months after the incident. But the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said the Sept. 1 trial date for the case is just a small first step. “We must keep firmly in mind that this is only the first small step in delivering justice to the victims’ families and ending the culture of impunity that has dominated the Philippines for many years," IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said on the IFJ website. Still, she said the IFJ is relieved that the trials of some of the suspects in the massacre will soon begin. Park said the IFJ “hopes that there will be no further delay in bringing to justice all involved in these horrific crimes." On the other hand, the NUJP reminded authorities that the victims’ families have long been waiting for the trial of the massacre case and commended the families’ resolve to pursue justice. The IFJ noted the Philippines is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. Its local affiliate group NUJP has reported 140 media workers have been killed since 1986. A total of 57 people were killed, 32 of them media workers, in last year's November 23 massacre in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao. IFJ has suggested an action plan to the Aquino administration to end impunity for violence and intimidation against journalists. Meanwhile, the NUJP has started a program to establish a peer support network for journalists who have experienced trauma as a result of their work. The program is being assisted by the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma. A group of 16 journalists participated in an initial round of training in Batangas, in the country’s north, on August 8. The program will equip journalists with improved skills for supporting each other when working in traumatic situations, including reporting on conflict and natural disasters. Committed to justice Meanwhile, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said families of the victims are getting together to maintain their commitment to justice. CPJ Impunity Campaign and Journalist Assistance Program Maria Salazar-Ferro said this after she visited the families of victims Francisco Subang, Gina Dela Cruz, Rossell Morales, and Ronnie Perante. [See: From grief of Maguindanao a family emerges] “They live in or around General Santos and survive on grants from the government and scholarships from local and international press freedom groups, including CPJ. Some manage to survive with creative business ventures such as Morales’ karaoke bar. But looking at the group, sitting tightly knit around the table, it was evident that they all come from different socio-economic worlds within the same city. What holds them together is the shared horror of the massacre and an astounding commitment to seek justice. The tragedy, they say, has made them into one family," she said. She said this improvised family revolves mainly around the group, Heirs of the Heroes of 11/23. Recognized legally as an organization, the group meets at least once a month to commemorate the killings and visit the cemetery together. — LBG, GMANews.TV