28. 05. 2005

GUNS FOR FREEDOM OF MEDIA

MANILA, May 28, 2005 – Philippine journalists have decided to take their security into their own hands and protect it with guns. As Slovene Pop TV reported, several hundreds of journalists in Manila had started practicing shooting with 11-millimeter guns after series of attacks and murders of their colleagues. The journalists stated that they would not sit and wait while their colleagues were being killed. The Society of Responsible Media stated that many of their friends have been murdered, most of them being shot in the head. They also stressed that all journalists should practice shooting and ought to be aware how important it is to know how to survive the attack. Many journalists however believe that this is not the proper way to solve the problem. The association of Philippine journalists regards this as disputable, but they allow the journalists to make their own decisions. Journalist Ichi Kabahan says: “Despite what they say, that the pen is sharper than the sword, the pen does not kill, but the gun does. That’s why we must arm ourselves.” Since the downfall of the dictatorial regime of Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, 68 journalists were killed on the streets of Philippine cities. This figure is the highest in the world, considering the annual average.