PH among the 5 deadliest countries for journalists after 10 years, but still the 7th most dangerous

MANILA – The Philippines improved its global ranking in prosecuting murderers of journalists in 2020, 10 years after ranking in the top 5 deadliest countries for journalists, this year’s Global Impunity Index showed.

While its rank improved, it still ranks as the seventh most dangerous country for journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in its report released Wednesday.

The move in the Philippines ranking was also due to the fact that the 2009 Maguindanao massacre “no longer falls within the 10-year time frame for calculating the index,” the report read.

CPJ’s Impunity Index methodology involves calculating the number of unsolved murders of journalists as a percentage of each country’s population from the period of September 1, 2010, to August 31, 2020.

“Only those nations with five or more unsolved cases are included,” he added.

The watchdog stated that it adjusted the Maguindanao massacre to “partial impunity” of “total impunity” after the historic ruling against members of the Ampatuan clan who planned the brutal murder of 57 victims, 32 of whom were journalists.

“Landmark convictions late last year led CPJ to adjust the status of the Ampatuan cases to” partial impunity “from” total impunity “previously, meaning they would no longer have figured in the index calculation regardless of the time period. “the report reads. .

In December last year, a lower court found members of the Ampatuan clan and several others guilty of multiple killings in the Maguindanao massacre, considered the worst political violence in the Philippines and the deadliest attack on journalists.

Brothers Zaldy and Andal “Unsay” Ampatuan Jr. were sentenced to life imprisonment or up to 40 years in prison without parole. Another brother of Ampatuan, Sajid, who is the mayor of Shariff Saydona Mustapha, was acquitted.

The Philippines currently has 11 unsolved murders in the 10-year index period, compared with 41 in last year’s index, the US-based watchdog added.

The last time the country was not among the 5 deadliest countries was in 2009, the year of the Maguindanao massacre. It was ranked sixth at the time.

Last year, the Philippines ranked fifth, still due to unsolved cases related to the Maguindanao massacre.

CPJ also said that while the number of killings this year involving members of the media has already surpassed 2019 figures, “it is not on track for a major increase.”

“Meanwhile, a couple of additional legal developments do not bode well for ending the cycle of violence and injustice,” he said.

CPJ ranked the following 12 worst countries when it comes to prosecuting killers of media workers in 2020:

1. Somalia (26 unsolved murders)
2. Syria (22 unsolved murders)
3. Iraq (21 unsolved murders)
4. South Sudan (5 unsolved murders)
5. Afghanistan (13 unsolved murders)
6. Mexico (26 unsolved murders)
7. Philippines (11 unsolved murders)
8. Brazil (15 unsolved murders)
9. Pakistan (15 unsolved murders)
10. Bangladesh (7 unsolved murders)
11. Russia (6 unsolved murders)
12. India (17 unsolved murders)