Freedom of expression

HAPPY WEEKEND
Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- November 23 marks the International Day to End Impunity. This Day specially marks to dignify and uplift freedom of expression and brings to light the very acts which kill and suppress freedom of expression.

Freedom of expression is a vital human right enshrined in the Philippine Constitution and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Further than that, freedom of expression is a divine right that lets one freely express one’s thoughts and feelings and knows that he or she is fully alive. Article 19 of the UDHR provides: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers...

The right to freedom of expression too is recognized as an international human rights law in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Article 19 of the ICCPR states that "everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference" and "everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice".

It is unfortunate that this very basic right is snatched from social activists and journalists most especially who in their profession exercise this very basic right to let the public know what is happening in society. From the pen and lips of journalists often spill forth news and events and analysis of issues. In most cases, journalists worth their salt who express injustices happening in government are either harassed or worse killed. The very violations of human rights, oppression, exploitation, injustices are oftentimes the meat of what journalists talk about as they dig what is behind a politician’s pronouncements and what excesses in government an officer may be doing.

Issues are unearthed of their truth and let known to the public so to make local governance transparent to the public who deserve every public transaction legitimate and proper enough to be known.

There were 146 cases of media killings in the Philippines since 1986. The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) reported eight journalists killed during the year. The CMFR claimed that four out of the eight were killed in the line of duty. On July 21this year, radio broadcaster Jovelito Agustin in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte was shot and killed and murder charges filed against a local government official.

A radio broadcaster was also shot and killed in Nabua, Camarines Norte. Still on June 14 this year, local broadcaster and anti illegal logging activist Desiderio Camangyan was shot and killed in Davao Oriental. Murder charges were filed against a local police officer and a village chief.

In the very exercise by journalists of their right to freedom of expression and what constitutes their very basic framework in their profession to inform, this very basic human right, as divine and as legal a right, is silenced obviously by wrong doers who do not like their acts- corruption, land grabbing, and other irregular and corrupt acts-made known to the public.

We cannot forget Marcia Garcia-Esperat, columnist for a local newspaper in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat in Mindanao who was shot and killed for exposing the fertilizer scam and other corruption in the Department of Agriculture in which former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was implicated. Maria Len Somera of DZME radio was also gunned down for criticizing land grabbing.

We cannot forget radio commentator Juan Pala who had been vocal against death squads and corruption in Davao. Radio talk show host Gerardo Ortega likewise was killed for speaking against destructive mining in Palawan and corruption of Malampaya Oil funds.

Cordillera had its share with the whacking of a microphone by Kalinga governor JocelBaac on local Radio ng Bayan announcer Jerome Tabanganay for criticizing the governor’s local governance.

It is on the basis of upholding freedom of expression that November 23 was declared as International Day to End Impunity by the global International Freedom of Expression Exchange. It is a day that marks to demand justice for those who have been killed for exercising their right to freedom of expression. It is a crucial day to let people know the ugly face of impunity where masterminds on media killings go unexposed and unpunished. Let this practice end.

November 23 was chosen as the International Day to End Impunity for the killing of 32 journalists when on this unfortunate day two years ago along with other 26 civilians, the journalists were killed in Maguindanao by the Ampatuan clan reportedly led by Gov. Andal Ampatuan.

In the following two years, those responsible for the horrible crime remained scot-free. There are remaining 101 suspects on the loose, with 95 already jailed of 196 accused. News reports say 10 former policemen, four former soldiers, 10 Ampatuan clan members, seven of the clan’s allies, and 70 members of a private armed group remain targets of search.

Impunity as Wikipedia notes refers to the "exemption from punishment or loss or escape from fines". In the international law of human rights, it refers to the failure to bring perpetrators of human rights violations to justice. It constitutes a denial of the victims' right to justice.

Impunity is common in countries that lack the practice of the rule of law, suffer from corruption or that have entrenched systems of patronage politics, or where the judiciary is weak. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists 2011 Impunity Index, Iraq ranked the highest in terms of unsolved murders 92 in the past 10 years. Somalia and the Philippines joined Iraq at the top of the index. The two countries showed either no improvement or worsening records.

With the declaration of International Day to End Impunity, its very intentions remain to be the call of the day and the days to come. It is a day to stop impunity as every killing means stopping the flow of information which impedes the right of the public to know and be informed of the very acts of their own government. Killing journalists means killing freedom of expression which definitely, should not be tolerated.