Three journalists murdered in two weeks in the Philippines

Filipino broadcaster Cosme Maestrado was shot dead on Thursday (28 August), the third journalist murdered in two weeks in the Philippines.

The radio presenter was shot 10 times by four gunmen in a street in Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental province, on the southern island of Mindanao. The attackers fled on two motorcycles.

Maestrado, 46, a news anchor at Radio Mindanao Network’s local dxOC station, was known for his hard-hitting commentaries on local corruption and abuse of power. But he had also served as a media consultant to Ozamiz City’s mayor.

Maestrado survived a previous attack in November 2011, according to his colleagues. His murder was the third journalist killing in recent weeks.

On 20 August, Teodoro Escanilla, a radio anchor for dzMS radio station in the eastern province of Sorsogon - and a spokesman for the Karapatan human rights group - was shot dead in front of his house.

On 18 August, newspaper publisher Gregorio Ybanez was shot dead in front of his house in Tagum City, in the southern province of Davao.

“The murder of three journalists in two weeks shows how the lack of progress in ending impunity has emboldened those bent on silencing the press in the Philippines,” said Shawn Crispin, the senior southeast Asia representative of the Commitee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

“We call on President Benigno Aquino to give top priority to swiftly resolving these egregious cases. Until Aquino demonstrates his government is serious about ending the onslaught, the killings will inevitably continue.”

Six journalists have been killed in the Philippines this year, and 30 since Aquino took office in 2010.

The Philippines ranks third on CPJ’s Impunity Index, which spotlights countries where journalists are murdered and the killers go free. The country is the third most deadly place for journalists in the world, after Iraq and Syria.

And that’s the reason for so many Filipino journalists carrying guns, as this video explains.

Sources: CPJ/Philippine Star/Manila Times