New York group pushes probe of newspaper editor's killing

As it called for a full probe of the incident, a New York-based media watchdog group on Saturday (Manila time) voiced fears media killings may go unabated under the Aquino administration. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the fatal shooting of Johnson Pascual in Isabela province last Friday, and called on Philippine authorities to prosecute the perpetrators. "We condemn the murder of Johnson Pascual and are concerned that he will become just another poorly investigated, unprosecuted crime, the sort that is commonplace in the Philippines," said Bob Dietz, CPJ's Asia program coordinator. "Over the decades, the killing of journalists and other citizens has not been successfully addressed by the Philippines government, and that reality is continuing under the presidency of Benigno Aquino," he added. Pascual, editor-in-chief of local paper Prime News, was gunned down by two men riding a motorcycle at 7:30 a.m. After he was shot, Pascual swerved and drove his Isuzu van into a ravine, where he died. Citing news reports, CPJ also noted Pascual was also the bank manager of FICO Bank in Maddela town in neighboring Quirino province. CPJ data for 2011 show that four journalists have died through violent attacks so far. But only the deaths of Romeo Olea and Gerardo Ortega have been determined to be related to their work as journalists. The CPJ noted the Philippines ranks as the world's third worst for the prosecution of journalists' killers. — LBG, GMA News