UNESCO denounces killing of George Benaojan
CEBU CITY – The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has strongly denounced the killing of Cebuano radio reporter-commentator George Benaojan and said that violence against journalists in the Philippines has reached “alarming proportions”.
“This is yet another attack on freedom of the press, and therefore on democracy and rule of law,” said UNESCO Director- General Koïchiro Matsuura in a statement published at the website of the UN News Center yesterday.
Matsuura’s statement was the latest in a long series of condemnations he has issued recently over attacks on journalists around the world. UNESCO’s mandate includes the defense of freedom of expression and press freedom.
“Violence against the profession has reached alarming proportions in the Philippines and I wish, once again, to pay tribute to the courage of journalists who continue exercising their profession in a particularly violent environment, despite the threats they receive,” he added.
Benaojan, 27, a reporter-commentator for Bantay Radyo and wrote a column in the newspaper that circulates at the Bureau of Customs, was shot while, was the 10th journalist to have been killed in the country this year and the 73rd since the return of democracy in 1986, according to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.
As this developed, the Cebu Federation of Beat Journalists will hold an indignation rally this afternoon (Friday) to condemn the killing of Benaojan and to pressure the police to act collectively to expedite the resolution of the case.
This, as the police yesterday remained mum and refused to speculate on the possible motive of Benaojan’s murder even if local reports revealed that the motive of the killing leans toward his personal and business dealings.
Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) Director Vicente Loot yesterday refused to comment when asked on what the police know about the motive of the killing of the Cebuano reporter, saying investigators are still piecing together evidences and testimonies to charge the mastermind.
Loot is planning to request the National Bureau of Investigation 7, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 7 and other national support agencies to help arrest the suspected gunman and the mastermind.
He, however, declined to reveal details on the identity of the suspected mastermind.
Meanwhile, the prime witness in the murder of Benaojan yesterday urged the police to provide him and his family a safe house after he received threats to his life following his positive identification of the gunman.
Jammy Llanos, who was talking with Benaojan when the gunman appeared and fired at the reporter, said he could not go back to his house because he had noticed suspicious persons roaming near his house.
The threat to his life, however, will not stop him from testifying in the court, said Llanos. But he was hopeful that the authorities will provide him and his family with protection now that the gunman has already been identified.
CPPO Chief Loot meanwhile said that he will assign policemen to keep a close watch at Llanos and his family to make sure that the witness will be safe. #
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