JUSTICE FOR OUR MEDIA WORKERS!

Students from the University of the Philippines Diliman - College of Mass Communication light 58 contained in cups exhibiting the caricature of media practitioners that succumbed to state violence in commemoration of the 16th year of the Ampatuan Massacre which still, to this day, saw no justice for the families of the victims.

At the onset of the 2010 gubernatorial elections of the province of Maguindanao, then vice mayor Esmael Mangudadatu sent his pregnant wife Genalyn, and other female relatives, to file his certificate of candidacy. Mangundadatu was not present, fearing for his life due to the death threats that he received.

As an added layer of protection, believing that the convoy would be harmed due to their presence, a group of journalists and other media workers were invited to cover the occasion. The convoy reached the town of Ampatuan, when they were halted by an armed checkpoint.

Data from the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) states that the altercation resulted in the deaths of over 58 victims. Further breaking down this death toll reveals that over 32 of the victims are journalists and media workers, 15 relatives of Mangundadatu and supporters, 2 drivers, 3 lawyers, and 6 individuals that are not part of the convoy.

A student holds a candle with a photo of reporter and commenter Jobert Bercasio who was killed by two unidentified assailants as he was riding his motorcycle

The Climate Change Network for Community Initiatives (CCNCI) stands in solidarity with the struggle for justice for the victims of the Ampatuan massacre. As climate activists, we recognized the pivotal role that our media workers hold in exposing the harsh climate realities of our nation.

Media coverage of our harsh climate realities across the globe, according to data from the United Nations, has been steadily rising from over 47,000 articles written within the span of 2016-17 to almost double in 2020-21 with 87,000.

Accurate media representation amidst a worsening crisis is essential to creating an informed citizenry. Disinformation has flooded the discourse surrounding climate change which caused an influx of climate denialism, derailing and barricading genuine reform to permeate through the walls of intergovernmental organizations.

Even more troubling is the recent trend of world leaders themselves that subscribe to such denialism. Therefore, the struggle for climate justice involves media workers as well, whose vocation has guided the campaign for many environmentalists to forward substantial change.

Students hold candles baring the faces of freelance journalist Archie Ace David who was murdered by the Ampatuans; Radio Broadcaster and political commentator Federico Gempesaw who was shot and killed at his home; Radio Reporter Renato Blanco who was stabbed in the neck by Charles Amada

The media’s role in the broad campaign for climate justice remains as truth-tellers of the harsh climate realities on the ground. They are at the forefront of the struggle for climate justice within our communities whose grievances remain stifled by the growth of climate denialism, documenting and solidifying the state of our environment as concrete.

In the recent 30th Conference of Parties (COP30), broad protests from various indigenous groups echoed across Belém, Brazil. Public outcry from environmentalists, climate activists, and indigenous groups has reached a boiling point but their voices remain stifled by the rigidity of the for-profit framework espoused by the international community. Those whose land, for the longest time, were tilled and cared for by the local community remain muzzled, voiceless in the negotiating table where diplomacy and profit reign supreme. All of this was covered by the media.

Despite the pivotal role that our media practitioners embody, their working conditions remain volatile. Wages remain low from within their corporate structure, state censorship is rampant as cases of repression increase, and their credibility is unjustly challenged by the rapid spread of disinformation.

The Philippines ranked 116th in the most recent World Press Freedom Index, remaining as one of the most dangerous nations for journalists across the globe. It has been 16 years since the Ampatuan Massacre and the struggle for justice has remained sluggish.

A student lights the candles baring the faces of slain media practitioners for the symbolic action of the protest

The entrenchment of Political Dynasties within our governing bodies has enabled politicians within their bailiwicks to commit such atrocities. Change, in all its forms, remains a herculean task when the system empowers self-aggrandizing political maneuvering.

The ground remains bloodied by the bodies of the 58 victims who were inhumanely buried in its roots. There can be no climate justice without justice for our truth-tellers. Those whose voices remain a guard rail for an absolutist regime that will excavate every square inch of mother nature just to make its political ambitions a reality.

#JusticeforAmpatuanMassacreVictims

#Fightfor58

#StopKillingJournalists

#EndImpunity