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Two Journalists Slain in 5 Days: Media Groups Condemn Continued Killings
by Alexander Martin Remollino
Friday, Aug. 06, 2004 at 12:30 PM
Roger Mariano and Arnel Manalo are the fourth and fifth journalists to be killed in the Philippines for this year, respectively. Manalo is the 11th journalist to be killed since 2004 and, based on NUJP counts, the 54th since 1986.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) has called for an independent investigation into the killings of journalists and on Vice President Noli de Castro to help protect his colleagues in the media. This developed as two journalists have been killed in the past five days alone.
De Castro, a media practitioner since the 1960s, was known as news anchor of ABS-CBN's TV Patrol and host of Magandang Gabi, Bayan for several years.
Radio commentator Roger Mariano of Ilocos Norte was gunned down July 31 by still-unidentified assailants. Mariano, a commentator for Bombo Radyo Philippines before transferring to MJC-DZJC, was known for his hard-hitting commentaries against corrupt public officials.
Yesterday, columnist and reporter Arnel Manalo of Batangas was murdered in Bauan town, same province. Manalo was a columnist for Bauan's local newspaper Veritas, aside from being a correspondent for Bulgar and a member of DZRH's Operation Tulong.
Mariano and Manalo are the fourth and fifth journalists to be killed in the Philippines for this year, respectively. Manalo is the 11th journalist to be killed since 2004 and, based on NUJP counts, the 54th since 1986.
None of the media killings since 1986 have been accounted for. Most of the journalists killed were known to be critical of government policies.
Media groups from all over the country have issued statements condemning the continued killings of their colleagues.
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