On Maguindanao massacre’s 15th year, NUJP renews call for better media protection

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – With the upcoming first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in May 2025, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) expressed concern over the potential increase in media attacks due to election-related violence.

During the “Safeguarding the Bangsamoro Votes and Protecting Election Defenders” dialogue organized by Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) held this week, several journalists covering BARMM highlighted the challenges of Mindanao-based journalists.

The recent violent incident involving Bandera News Cotabato editor Jasper Acosta and reporter Aika Kamid, who were caught in a crossfire between armed groups from opposing political parties in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur, was cited during the event. The hostility was triggered by intense rivalry between political camps.

Shariff Aguak is around 20 kilometers from the site of the infamous Maguindanao massacre in Sitio Masalay, Barangay Salman, Ampatuan town.

“It’s not just about ensuring the safety of journalists, but also ensuring their access to information,” national media safety officer for NUJP Kath Cortez said. “We should not be limited or intimidated when we perform our jobs as journalists.”

The first Bangsamoro elections will he held simultaneously with the midterm elections on May 12, 2025, where people nationwide will elect new set of senators and party-list representatives. Local officials will also be elected during the next year’s polls.

There are proposals in Congress to postpone the BARMM elections to 2026, which Malacañang is studying.

Commemoration

Ahead of November 23, the NUJP led the 15th anniversary commemoration of the Maguindanao massacre which took the lives of 58 people, including 32 media workers. Journalists lit candles and offered red ribbons in honor of the deceased.

Cortez emphasized that while the December 2019 verdict that convicted some of the Ampatuans provided some semblance of justice, the court ruling was still “partial.” Many suspects remain at large, some were acquitted, and the Ampatuan family continues to appeal the guilty verdict, the former NUJP national vice chairperson added.

The families of the victims have also yet to receive the mandated compensation from the Ampatuans.

Cortez also highlighted the continued killings of journalists in the country and the prevailing culture of impunity, citing the killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration in 2022. Although warrants have been issued, authorities have yet to arrest former Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag, the alleged mastermind behind Lapid’s slay.

“The list of media attacks in the country is too long,” Cortez said, adding that the issue is often politicized. She also urged politicians to move beyond campaign promises and find concrete solutions to address media attacks and protect press freedom.

Meanwhile, former Maguindanao governor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu, who lost a wife and two sisters in the massacre, said he would not visit the massacre site for the first time this year due to the security risks posed by dilapidated roads and other potential dangers.

“It’s not safe to enter [the area]. I asked for assistance, but they said it’s too dangerous. The road might collapse, and because of the distance we have to walk, there might be snipers,” Mangudadatu said in a phone interview.

Typically, Mangudadatu would visit the site every year with a convoy of supporters, relatives, and media members.

When asked if he has forgiven the Ampatuans, given his current political alliance with Bai Bong Midtimbang-Ampatuan, the wife of former ARMM governor Zaldy Ampatuan, he said: “I have forgiven them. I have it in my heart, but the issue of justice is separate. It’s up to the court to decide on Datu Zaldy’s appeal to be released from jail.”

Zaldy, Datu Andal Jr., and Anwar Sr. were convicted in 2019 over the gruesome massacre.

“I believe political maturity has grown, but only to a minimal extent,” he said.

He added: “My call to them is to remember what happened in the 2009 Maguindanao Massacre, especially what happened recently during the filing of candidacies in Shariff Aguak. It was chaotic. I hope these political leaders won’t let their supporters get caught up in heated actions, and I also urge supporters to protect their leaders from becoming involved in bloody conflicts.” – Rappler.com