In November last year, Michael James “Dacoycoy” Licuanan, chief of reporters of Bombo Radyo’s Cagayan de Oro station, survived an attempt on his life.

It seems whoever sought to rub him out is bent on finishing the job.

Licuanan has again received death threats believed connected to his commentaries against the illegal drug trade plaguing his city.

News of the resumption of the threats comes immediately after still unidentified killers gunned down Nestor Libaton, reporter of Catholic church station dxHM, in Mati, Davao Oriental, the third media worker murdered in just 15 days and the 12th killed since President Benigno Aquino III assumed office.

While not established yet, it is more likely than not that the new threats against Licuanan come from whoever it was who ordered his killing.

This merely proves what we have said again and again, that those who would seek to silence the independent Philippine press know that, more often than not, they will get away with it, no thanks to government inaction and apathy.

By rights, each and every murder of a media worker – for that matter, the murder of anyone for simply exercising freedom of expression – ought to be greeted as the slap in the face to democracy that it is.

That administration after administration has failed to stop the bloodshed merely proves that our rights, our liberties, our very lives, are of small import to government.

This administration has proven itself no different, what with the rate the killings and other assaults on the media have been happening.

Again, we call Mr. Aquino on his thus far unfulfilled promise to deliver justice and good governance to our long-suffering people and nation.

Again, we point out that all indications are that the brains behind the bulk of media killings are the plague of corrupt politicians and warlords that are allowed to wield control over our provinces and municipalities as if these were their fiefdoms in exchange for their loyalty to the central government.

If Mr. Aquino really cares about making good on his promises, we challenge him to order all law enforcement agencies to solve the murders of our colleagues and unmask the masterminds.

 

Reference:

Nestor Burgos
Chairman