JournalismPakistan.com | Published November 23, 2020
Join our WhatsApp channelEleven years on from the Ampatuan Massacre, the world’s deadliest attack against journalists, impunity for crimes against journalists continues in the Philippines.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) to call for stronger efforts to end the country’s entrenched culture of impunity.
On November 23, 2009, 58 people, including 32 journalists, were shot and murdered in Maguindanao, on the southern island of Mindanao. The killing was the single worst massacre of journalists in history and today media defenders joined the families of the victims in the ongoing fight for justice.
Sadly, the spread of coronavirus in the Philippines prevented families from making their annual pilgrimage to the site of the massacre to pay their respects for the victims this year.
On December 20, 2019, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 221 convicted 28 principal suspects (including eight members of the Ampatuan clan) and 15 others as accessories to the violent murders. Yet not all the suspects have been accounted for and convictions were handed down for just 57 murders; the court did not include journalist Reynaldo "Bebot" Momay whose body was never found.
On September 25, 2020, the IFJ released joint statement with its Asia-Pacific affiliates welcoming the decision of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to maintain the classification of the Ampatuan Massacre legal case as ‘unresolved.’
Today’s grim milestone marks the end of the IFJ’s global 2020 impunity campaign, which continues to demand an end to impunity for crimes against journalists.
Disturbingly, further lives have been lost during the campaign. In the Philippines this month, freelance journalist Ronnie Villamor was shot dead by soldiers on Masbate Island on November 14 and broadcaster and columnist Virgilio Maganes was fatally shot by gunmen on November 10.
Since the global International Day to End Impunity (IDEI) on November 3, 2020, a total of six journalists have been killed in the Asia-Pacific region including a further two journalists each killed in India and Afghanistan.
The NUJP said: "It remains very clear that the massacre case is far from being resolved. The convictions are being appealed, as are the civil damages by the victims' families. And 76 suspects are still at large. Which is why we join the families of the victims on declaring: WE STILL #FIGHTFOR58."
The IFJ said: “As we mark the end of our campaign, it is devastating to report that six more journalists’ lives were extinguished this month. It is a gruesome reminder of the mighty task we face to end attacks on journalists. On this day, IFJ stands with the families of the Ampatuan massacre victims in demanding justice to ensure all perpetrators are prosecuted.”—IFJ media release/Photo: AFP
April 11, 2025: Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.
April 10, 2025: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has filed a case against The Daily Jammu & Kashmir and its staff for alleged fake news, drawing condemnation from PFUJ and IFJ, who demand immediate withdrawal of the FIR and an end to media repression in Pakistan.
April 08, 2025: Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges that Pakistan's state agencies, including the FIA, have blocked her CNIC, passport, and bank account while threatening her. She calls it a direct attack on journalism.
April 07, 2025: The Islamabad High Court has directed IG Islamabad to produce journalist Ahmad Noorani’s missing brothers, as the Ministry of Defence denies custody. SIM activity was traced in Bahawalpur, and investigations into their suspected abduction continue.
April 07, 2025: Journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick has been granted bail by a Karachi court in a case concerning anti-state content aired on his YouTube channel. He still faces separate charges related to an alleged illegal call center and data theft.
April 03, 2025: Veteran journalist Ghulam Abbas Shah has joined Discover Pakistan Television as the Head of Programming. With 25 years of experience in leading news organizations, he looks forward to contributing to quality storytelling and content.
April 02, 2025: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the visit of a group of Pakistani journalists to Israel, calling it a violation of journalistic ethics and a betrayal of press freedom and human rights. PFUJ demands a transparent investigation into the matter.
March 30, 2025: Dawn criticizes Pakistan’s plan to use TV dramas against extremism, highlighting financial and digital challenges. Can media alone solve deep-rooted issues?
April 03, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) invite nominations for the 2025 World Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer Awards. Recognizing courageous journalists and innovative media, the awards will be presented at IPI’s 75th-anniversary World Congress in Vienna. Submit your nominations by April 30, 2025.
April 01, 2025 Photojournalist Suresh Rajak was burned alive while covering a violent protest in Kathmandu. The IFJ and its affiliates condemn the attack and call for an urgent investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable.
April 01, 2025 Assam Police arrested digital journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder for covering a protest against alleged corruption at Assam Co-Operative Bank. Media organizations have condemned the arrest, calling it an attack on press freedom.
March 29, 2025 A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle Voice of America (VOA), ruling that the move likely violated legal procedures. The decision protects over 1,200 journalists and media staff.
March 28, 2025 Turkey deports BBC journalist Mark Lowen over 'public order' threat and fines opposition TV channels covering Istanbul Mayor's arrest. Critics condemn crackdown on press freedom amid rising political tensions.