VILLAR CONDEMNS TWIN ASSAULT VS. MEDIA

Senate President Manny Villar urged Philippine National Police chief Oscar Calderon to probe the attempt on the lives of DZMM reporter Johnny Glorioso and Philippine Daily Inquirer correspondent Sonny Mallari in Lucena today, as well as the murder of Radyo ng Bayan reporter Mark Palacios in Nueva Ecija two days ago.

Glorioso and Mallari were attacked by two gun-wielding men aboard a motorcycle today, leaving Mallari injured. Glorioso, who was unhurt, brought Mallari to the hospital.

Meanwhile, the death of Nueva Ecija reporter Palacios brought to 51 the number of journalists killed since 2001.

Villar said, The PNP should prove its trustworthiness and waste no time in pursuing the perpetrators of such dastardly acts committed against crime-fighting journalists and against media freedom in the country.

This is a challenge for our police to underscore their seriousness and sincerity in resolving the spate of crimes which particularly target mainstream journalists, the reelectionist senator and guest candidate of the Genuine Opposition stressed.

To redeem our countrys battered image in the area of human rights before the international community, we must finally put a stop to these unabated crimes, Villar said.

Late last year, Villar, as erstwhile chair of the Senate committee on public order and illegal drugs, filed Senate Committee Report 150 on media killings which cited the climate of violence conditioned by such unresolved crimes. Journalists are duty-bound to expose the truth and should not be threatened or killed for doing their job, the report stated.