Journalists worldwide set November 23 as 'Intl Day to End Impunity'

November 23, the day in 2009 when the infamous Maguindanao massacre occurred, has been adopted by journalists worldwide as the “International Day to End Impunity." Member groups of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) reached the decision during IFEX Strategy Conference in Beirut last week. “The Maguindanao massacre, as it is known, has received international attention from human rights advocates and the press. Yet, in the Philippines, the trial continues to stall with continuous motions filed against the defense and prosecution, alongside allegations of threats and bribery," Maria Salazar-Ferro, coordinator of IFEX’s Impunity Campaign & Journalist Assistance Program, said in a blog post. "In the meantime, the administration of President Benigno Aquino (III) has again asked the Philippines for patience in the proceedings," she added. According to Ferro, IFEX members announced on June 2 that they would join forces to put an end to journalists’ murders and impunity for their killers. The creation of the International Day to End Impunity was announced during the Beirut launching of (the Committee to Protect Journalists’) 2011 special report on impunity around the world entitled “Getting Away with Murder." November 23, 2009 marks the single deadliest attack on journalists in history, 32 journalists and media workers were executed in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao while on their way to cover municipal elections, Ferro said. The 32 journalists were among the 57 people who were killed on that day. A 58th victim, a photographer, is still missing. “The International Day to End Impunity will shine a spotlight on cases like the Maguindanao massacre, where impunity must not be allowed to win out," Ferro said. "It will allow for press freedom organizations to demand internationally that more governments strengthen their investigation and prosecution procedures to ensure that killers of journalists are not allowed to go free, silencing critics like Shahzad and Politkovskaya," she said. The annual commemoration of the International Day to End Impunity will also ensure that journalists "in countries where impunity is rampant feel that their work and their lives are valued," she added. Top priority of IFEX The IFEX said impunity has always been ranked as a top priority for IFEX members. “The hope is that the International Day to End Impunity will highlight the attempts to address this issue by IFEX members," the IFEX said. “The day will be a platform... to demand that journalists’ killers do not go free, and to ensure that our colleagues working in countries with continuous and rampant impunity feel that their work is valued and their life is treasured," added the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The IFEX cited the counter-impunity campaign in the Philippines, which the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) said involves initiatives to reform the problematic criminal justice system. CMFR said such initiatives range from amending the penal code to modifying the witness protection program. Run-up to November 23 In the run-up to November 23, IFEX members involved in countering impunity will discuss and analyze these and other emerging trends, and come up with new strategies that will strengthen their counter-impunity campaign. “At our office we see all these creative initiatives IFEX members take on to address impunity in their own contexts," said Annie Game, executive director of IFEX . “We need a better way to promote this work and having a day to focus on is an important first step in building awareness and proposing concrete actions to address impunity," she said. - VVP, GMA News