PHILIPPINES: Gunmen kill journalists

Husband and wife Mindanao political commentators shot become 43rd and 44th journalists murdered in the Philippines since 2001

The Age
Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Two gunmen, one with a towel over his head and face, shot dead a husband and wife who worked as radio political commentators on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.

George Vigo and his wife Mazel were on their way home late Monday when two gunmen on a motorcycle shot them, said Danny Reyes, police chief in Kidapawan City on Mindanao.

The Philippines is the most dangerous country in the world to be a journalist in terms of the number of killings, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.

"They died on the way to the hospital from several bullet wounds in the head and body," Reyes told reporters.

Local police were trying to determine if the murders were related to their work at a local radio station, he said.

"It's too difficult to speculate on who was behind the attack and the motive for the murder," Reyes said, asking for technical help from other police units to help draw sketches of the suspects.

Last week, Vigo, who also contributed to the Bangkok-based Union of Catholic Asian News (UCAN), was telling friends he was getting death threats from an unspecified group.

His wife, who hosted a separate radio program with the same local radio station, was an organiser of the leftist political movement Bayan (Nation) in North Cotabato province.

Joe Torres, a spokesman of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, said the Vigos were the 43rd and the 44th journalists to be murdered since President Gloria Arroyo came to power in 2001.

Torres said about 10 Philippine journalists were killed in the line of duty last year.

"We were alarmed," Torres said in a statement. "There were too many killings of journalists and activists despite the government's promise to address the issue."

Despite government promises to stop the murders and cash rewards, only three of 81 media murders have been solved by the police since democracy was restored in 1986 by a "people power" revolt that deposed dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Most of the killings have been related to investigations of corruption, gambling, narcotics and other illegal activities.

There have also been cases of reporters murdered on suspicion they were taking bribes.

Date Posted: 6/21/2006