US embassy cable - 05MANILA1595

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MANILA 001595 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/PMBS, EAP/PD, DRL/CRA, INR/EAP 
NSC FOR GREEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/06/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PINS, KCOR, KPAO, RP 
SUBJECT: LATEST KILLING OF JOURNALIST SPARKS OUTRAGE 
 
REF: A. MANILA 1151 
 
     B. MANILA 0312 
     C. 04 MANILA 5775 
     D. 04 MANILA 5220 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Timothy L. Cipullo 
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (U) Summary:  The shooting of a well-known journalist in 
Mindanao on March 24 marked what media organizations say is 
the fourth of a journalist this year and has sparked new 
public outrage.  The House of Representatives plans a hearing 
and the Catholic Church has condemned the attack.  The 
Philippine National Police (PNP) announced that "Task Force 
Newsmen," a group within the PNP focused on investigating 
killings of journalists, is actively investigating this and 
other cases.  Local police have filed charges against the 
suspected killer, but have not yet made an arrest. 
Journalist organizations are focused on further raising 
public awareness of journalist killings and educating their 
members to minimize the chances of becoming a target.  The 
latest killing again highlights how dangerous the profession 
of journalism is in the Philippines.  Mission has underscored 
to the GRP the need for a firm clampdown on the perpetrators 
of the attacks.  End Summary. 
 
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Latest Killing 
-------------- 
 
2.  (U) On March 24, Marlyne Esperat died when an assailant 
shot her in her home in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat, 
southern Mindanao.  Esperat's killing is the fourth of a 
journalist this year, according to media organizations, 
although the police say it is the second (see para 6).  There 
were 10 such killings last year.  Esperat, a well-known 
columnist with the weekly newspaper "Midland Review," was 
known as a fierce anti-corruption crusader.  She had filed 
several graft cases against local and national government 
officials, as well as against a police chief who may have 
been implicated in her murder (see para 4). 
 
------------------------------ 
Condemnation from many Sectors 
------------------------------ 
 
3.  (U) The Esperat killing sparked fresh outrage.  The 
Committee on Human Rights in the House of Representatives 
plans an inquiry into Esperat's murder when the House 
reconvenes on April 11.  Committee Chairperson Rep. Loretta 
Ann Rosales urged police to arrest Esperat's killers and 
exhorted those with information about the killing to 
cooperate with investigators.  Rosales told the "Manila 
Standard" that "the job of journalists is indispensable in 
the delivery of information to the public and in the search 
for truth.  It is absolutely wrong to kill them as 
retaliation for their work."  The Catholic Church also 
strongly condemned the killing.  Archbishop of Lingayan Oscar 
Cruz issued a scathing commentary on the Catholic Bishop's 
Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website, declaring that 
the Philippines has become a "dangerous country," as he 
called on the GRP to take firm steps to apprehend the 
perpetrators of the attacks. 
 
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PNP Investigation Turns up -- Jack 
---------------------------------- 
 
4.  (C) New Director General of the Philippine National 
Police Arturo C. Lomibao assured Pol/C on April 6 that the 
PNP was actively investigating this and other journalist 
cases, and noted that he had personally been in touch with 
the victim's family.  He said that he believed local police 
had identified two suspects by description and had filed 
charges against the actual killer by name on April 5 or 6. 
Separately, Senior PNP Superintendent Frederick Oconer told 
poloff that the PNP is closely examining reports that the 
chief of police of General Santos City, Senior Superintendent 
Willie Dangane (a National Food Authority contractor and a 
former politician), was involved in the murder.  Esperat had 
filed an obstruction of justice case involving allegations of 
graft against Superintendent Dangane, which was still pending 
at the time of her murder.  The PNP has already relieved 
Dangane of his post and placed him on "floating" status, 
pending the outcome of the investigation.  One of Oconer's 
subordinates confirmed to poloff on April 6 that local 
authorities had filed charges against one suspect on April 5, 
but had not yet made any arrest.  However, police had so far 
only identified the suspect -- the alleged triggerman -- by 
the alias "Jack."  He could not confirm whether the police 
had established any links between the suspect and Dangane. 
 
5.  (C) Oconor confirmed that "Task Force Newsmen" is leading 
the GRP's investigation of Esperat's murder, as well as the 
investigations into the other killings.  The President formed 
the Task Force from within the Criminal Investigation and 
Detection Group (CIDG) of the PNP on July 22, 2004.  Of the 
58 cases involving the murders of journalists since 1986, 
authorities have filed charges in 29 cases, according to the 
latest Task Force report.  Three cases have been dismissed 
due to lack of evidence and 21 cases are still under trial. 
Oconer also noted that five people have been convicted of 
killing journalists since 1986, with the last conviction 
occurring in 1999.  Journalist watchdog groups claim that 
only two people have been convicted. 
 
6.  (C) According to Oconer, police have made no arrests in 
the other cases of journalist killings this year, in large 
part due to a lack of witnesses.  Task Force Newsmen puts the 
number of killings of journalists at only two for 2005, 
asserting that two other killings cited by journalist 
watchdog groups were not work-related.  Many potential 
witnesses are often afraid to testify for fear of retaliation 
by the killers, he added.  The PNP, working with other GRP 
agencies, has tried to protect witnesses, but Oconer admitted 
that the GRP has had great difficulty doing so.  (Comment: 
The concerns of potential witnesses were no doubt reinforced 
recently when gunmen killed Edgar Amoro, a schoolteacher and 
freelance broadcaster who was a key witness to the 2002 
killing of journalist Edgar Demalerio.  Amoro became the 
second witness to the Demalerio murder to be killed, despite 
the fact that he was in a witness protection program run by 
the Department of Justice.  End comment) 
 
----------------- 
Journalists React 
----------------- 
 
7.  (SBU) In reaction to the spate of killings, professional 
journalist organizations have been striving to raise public 
awareness in order to put more pressure on the GRP to bring 
perpetrators to justice.  This latest killing has garnered 
more attention than previous murders, in large part because 
of Esperat's flamboyant style and reputation as an aggressive 
whistleblower.  The Philippine Center for Investigative 
Journalism prepared a sympathetic feature on the life of 
Esperat, which many news outlets carried. 
 
8.  (C) Press organizations such as the National Union of 
Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) are also trying to work 
closely with authorities.  Carlos Conde, Secretary General of 
NUJP and the local stringer for "The New York Times," told 
poloff that the PNP had invited NUJP to join the 
investigation into the Esperat killing and that NUJP had 
agreed to help where it could.  Some press organizations are 
also taking matters into their own hands.  The Freedom Fund 
for Filipino Journalists (FFFJ) has published a guidebook 
titled "Staying Alive" that offers advice to journalists on 
how not to become a target and how to survive violent 
attacks.  Additionally, after the killing of the second 
witness to the Demalerio murder, the FFFJ moved the third 
(and last remaining living) witness to a hiding place in 
Manila from his home in Pagadian City in Mindanao.  The FFFJ 
also relocated the wives of Amoro and Demalerio for their 
protection. 
 
9.  (C) Mission contacts have admitted that journalists in 
the Philippines frequently make powerful enemies (and thus 
become potential targets) by practicing "envelope" 
journalism, i.e., writing articles with a certain slant in 
exchange for money.  It is difficult to quantify the 
prevalence of envelope journalism, but many believe it 
widespread in the coverage of local and national politics. 
Many journalists reportedly cast a blind eye to the practice 
in order to "protect" their colleagues.  Mission is actively 
working with the Philippine Center for Investigative 
Journalism (PCIJ), the Center for Media Freedom and 
Responsibility (CMFR), and university-based institutions to 
conduct training programs for journalists with the aim of 
increasing professionalization and at least to discourage 
corrupt practices.  Missionoffs have also underscored to the 
GRP the need for a firm clampdown on the perpetrators of the 
attacks, and continue to work on many fronts to raise respect 
for the rule of law via targeted diplomatic and 
assistance-related efforts. 
Mussomeli