Sixteen years after the Maguindanao massacre, families of the victims, media groups and human rights advocates marked the tragedy’s anniversary with renewed demands for justice, stronger safeguards for press freedom, and full recognition of every person who was killed.
The massacre was carried out by members of the powerful Ampatuan clan in Maguindanao province on the island of Mindanao on November 23, 2009, and claimed 58 lives, including 32 journalists. Only 57 victims were officially recognized in the 2019 court verdict.
The bid to formally acknowledge photojournalist Reynaldo “Bebot” Momay as one of those killed remains unresolved since his body has not been recovered.
The massacre was rooted in a political rivalry between the Ampatuan clan and Esmael Mangudadatu, with victims ambushed while covering Mangudadatu’s candidacy. Victims’ families and journalists continue to fear for their safety, as most accused remain free.
While key Ampatuan family members and several accomplices were convicted, more than 80 suspects remain at large.
Journalists and media organizations in the Philippines commemorated the massacre anniversary with calls to defend press freedom, confront threats to democratic rights, and ensure such atrocities are neither forgotten nor repeated.
In a statement, Cagayan de Oro Press Club (COPC) emphasized that the massacre was an attack not only on 58 journalists but also on the public’s right to know. COPC president Froilan Gallardo urged concrete actions to protect journalists, strengthen legal safeguards, promote accountability, and teach future generations to value truth over convenience.
The Philippines ranked ninth on the Committee to Protect Journalists’ 2024 Global Impunity Index, which highlights countries that fail to hold killers of journalists accountable. With 18 unresolved media killings, the country has remained on the list for 17 consecutive years.
Meanwhile, Philippine alternative news outlet Bulatlat secured a legal victory after the Quezon City Regional Trial Court nullified the 2022 memorandum of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) that ordered the blocking of 27 websites.
The NTC released the instruction directing the blockage of 27 websites following a letter from NTC and former national security advisor Hermogenes Esperon Jr. claiming, without evidence, that the sites promoted terrorism or were connected to terrorist groups. The court noted that the NTC should have followed due process by providing notice and holding a hearing. It also stated that NTC’s authority does not include suppressing content or restricting access to online publications, as attempted in the challenged memorandum.
The case is hailed as a landmark win for press freedom in the Philippines, strengthening constitutional safeguards against government censorship and the abuse of anti-terror laws to target dissenting media.
Photo © Raffy Lerma