Intl media group dismayed over acquittal of ex-cop in Batul murder

A New York-based media watchdog group expressed dismay over the acquittal of a former policeman linked to the killing of Palawan radio anchor Fernando “Dong" Batul in 2006. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) noted that only a few media outlets reported the acquittal of Aaron Golifardo for the killing last April 11, when Regional Trial Court (Palawan, Branch 95) Judge Bienvenido Blancaflor ruled that the prosecution failed to convincingly establish that the ex-cop is one of Batul’'s killers. (See: Court acquits suspect in 2006 murder of Palawan broadcaster Batul) “It is hard to believe that justice has truly been served in the killing of Fernando Batul, who was murdered five years ago. Even though there has been a 'not guilty' verdict, this journalist's murder case remains very much open, and the impunity with which journalists are being killed in the Philippines remains a matter of national shame," said Bob Dietz, CPJ's Asia program coordinator, on the CPJ website. "It is up the country's police and courts to address Batul's death and the deaths of so many others in the country that have gone unpunished." he added. Prosecution lawyer Joselito Alisuag expressed disappointment at the verdict. “We thought we had a strong case against Golifardo," Alisuag said. Motorcycle-riding men shot Batul, the main anchorman of radio station dyPR, six times while he was driving to work in Puerto Princesa city in Palawan on May 22, 2006. He was killed two days before his 37th birthday. Golifardo was charged with murder two days later, after being identified by witnesses, according to news reports at the time. The other person on the motorcycle was never identified. The CPJ noted Batul had been targeted before his death. On May 15, 2006, two unexploded grenades were found at Batul's home in Puerto Princesa. A letter was attached to the house's gate threatening harm on Batul's family if he continued his critical broadcasts against corrupt officials. The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) said Batul had angered city officials who had organized contracts for Filipino workers in Taiwan, a highly lucrative operation. CPJ also cited CMFR information that the Philippine Army was angry with him for earlier interviews he had done with members of the communist New People's Army. The CPJ noted that the Philippines ranks third, behind Iraq and Somalia, on CPJ's impunity index “Getting Away with Murder," which calculates the number of unsolved journalist murders as a percentage of a country's population. – MRT, GMA News