A prominent Philippine journalist has become the latest in a series of reporters and rights activists to be killed in recent months.......Batul had recently criticised city officials over the contracts of Filipinos whom he said were mistreated when they were sent to Taiwan.
The real story is that corruption allows local officials and businessmen to hire hitmen to kill their rivals and get away with it...although the mayor, of course, denies that he had anything to do with it...
Alas, the murder of muckracking reporters is nothing new:
Batul is thought to be the fifth journalist to be murdered in the Philippines this year. Seven were killed in 2005.
And it's not only reporters:
Task Force Usig, created to probe the killings f journalists and leftists, has reported that since 2001 121 party-list members and 42 journalists have been slain.
Just last Monday, Fernando “Dong” Batul, a radio commentator in Puerto Princesa City, was gunned down on his way to work.
Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Carta, assistant to Police Deputy Director General Avelino Razon Jr., the Task Force Usig head, said the group had also counted 71 government officials and 13 other militant members slain in the past five years.
And, of course, this doesn't include people like my nephew, who was killed in the crossfire by thugs who were trying to eliminate someone's business rivals...
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