The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines will hold a roundtable discussion on how to deal with the continued killings of journalists. The forum, titled MEDIA UNDER FIRE: A FORUM ON THE KILLINGS OF FILIPINO JOURNALISTS, will be held on Thursday, August 12, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the Balai Kalinaw at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.

Journalists, mostly from the broadcast media and from the provinces, have been invited to attend. Most of the 54 journalists killed since 1986 come from the provinces and from the broadcast media.

Carlos H. Conde, secretary-general of the NUJP, said the forum will essentially be a brainstorming session. “We will try to come up with specific and doable ways to deal with the violence,” he said.

The participants will also discuss the PNP’s proposal to relax the rules on weapons for journalists. The NUJP has opposed this move, saying it would not solve the killings and that it absolves the PNP of its responsibility.

The NUJP, founded in 1986, is a nationwide organization that promotes press freedom and the economic welfare of journalists. It has several chapters across the country.