NUJP says police should go after criminals, not monitor media

As it lamented the acquittal of a former police officer in the killing of a radio announcer in 2004, journalists dared government anew to go after criminals out to silence media. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said the Philippine National Police (PNP) should be going after criminals out to silence media instead of monitoring media. “Instead of monitoring the media, we call on the Philippine National Police to go after the criminals who are out to silence media practitioners in the country," NUJP chairman Jose Torres Jr. said in a statement posted on the NUJP website. He said the NUJP is saddened that a regional trial court in General Santos City acquitted Ephraim Englis in the June 2004 killing of Elpidio Binoya. Torres said it is high time Malacañang fulfilled its promise to defend press freedom by “seriously" going after killers of journalists, and pursuing cases filed against suspects. “It’s another sad day for press freedom," Torres, who chairs the NUJP commission for the protection of journalists, said of the acquittal. “We are saddened about the report. We call on the government to prove its resolve to defend press freedom by seriously going after the killers of journalists and pursuing the cases filed against suspects who were arrested," he added. Englis, a former policeman detailed in General Santos City, is incumbent chief of Barangay Datal Tampal in Malungon town in Saranggani. In a six-page decision, Judge Oscar Noel of General Santos City Regional Trial Court branch 35 said the prosecution failed to present strong evidence against Englis. The decision was based on testimonies of five prosecution witnesses, namely, Mrs. Binoya; SPO3 Pastor Romero; driver Ameril Danial Calamin; vendor Allan Rosaldez; and Roger Malid Pendatun. The witnesses are currently under the government’s protection program. Binoya, satellite station manager of dzRH Radyo Natin in Malungon, was riding a motorcycle on his way home from work when two unidentified men shot him in Upper Labay, General Santos City. Before his death, Binoya criticized local politicians, including Englis. Binoya’s family and colleagues claimed some influential people were protecting Englis. Binoya was the second journalist killed in 2004. He was the country’s 45th media-related casualty since 1986.-GMANews.TV