Since 1986, the Department of Justice (DOJ) was able to secure convictions in 56 cases of media killings.
This was revealed by DOJ Planning Division Chief Wilson Suba on Wednesday, Dec. 9, during the ongoing Philippine Human Rights Summit.
Suba said the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS), which the DOJ co-chairs, has determined that, out of the 180 media killings reported since 1986, “68 of these were deemed by the task force as work related consistent to their operational guidelines wherein the victims are active media practitioners on the time of his death and the motive is related to his work as a media worker.”
“Of the 68 cases, 56 resulted to convictions,” Suba said.
“The 17 cases are ongoing trial and five cases are under investigation,” he added.
Suba said the 180 cases of media killings are among the 244 cases of violence against media workers recorded since 1986.
The DOJ official also noted the 69 cases include the 32 cases in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre.
The case concerns the November 23, 2009 killings in Ampatuan, Maguindanao where 57 persons were killed including 32 journalists.
Those killed were part of a convoy accompanying the group of then Buluan town Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu to register his name for the 2010 gubernatorial election.
The case is considered the worst media killing as well as worst election-related killing in Philippine history.
In Dec. 19, 2019, Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 221 promulgated a decision which convicted 57 persons including members of the Ampatuan clan for multiple murder in connection with the Maguindanao massacre.