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Alert
April 4, 2008
NUJP fears for safety of Palawan
journalist
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) is extremely
concerned over threats to the life of a Palawan journalist and calls
on the Philippine National Police to take immediate action.
Redempto Anda, correspondent of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and chairperson of the NUJP's Palawan chapter, received threatening text messages yesterday from a cellular phone with the number 09267869353.
The first message said, "Watch your back you have been tempting the gods! Don't even think they will take it kindly that you are on a personal crusade against the KAPITAN."
This was immediately followed by the following message: "Be kind to an animal? Yes we will, through mercy killing! Goodluck."
Anda said the only controversial story he has written recently was about the alleged moves of a mining company owned by business magnate Lucio Tan to prevent the president from declaring Mt. Mantalinhangan a protected area. Tan is widely known as "El Kapitan" or The Captain.
Mt. Mantalinhangan hosts the remaining intact forest in southern Palawan, a protected area. Tan's MacroAsia has applied for a large-scale nickel mining concession in southern Palawan. The article on the mining firm came out in the April 1 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. A representative of the mining company though has denied involvement in the threats against Anda.
Journalists should be free from any form of attack and intimidation to enable them to fulfill their responsibility of bringing information to the public without fear of being harmed. It is the responsibility of the state, through the police and military, to protect people in general and prevent harm from befalling threatened journalists like Anda.
IFJ-NUJP Media Safety Office