I received this letter from George Patterson a Language Education Grad student in the Philippines.

It's not posted on the web at the blog of the union of Philippines journalists, but I have permission to repost it in its entirety.

NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS OF THE PHILIPPINES

www.nujp.org

Statement

July 19, 2006

KILLING OF MINDANAO BROADCASTER SHOWS GOV'T INABILITY TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS

Another colleague is dead.

Armando Pace, 51, hard-hitting commentator of Radyo Ukay dxDS in

Digos City, was felled on Tuesday, (18 July 2006) by two motorcycle-riding

men who shot him as he made his way home after hosting his program.

Pace was the 82nd journalist slain in the country since 1986, the 42nd

under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's watch - the worst record of any

administration - and the ninth thus far this year, already two more

than last year's toll and with five more months to go.

Lest we forget, it was in 2005 that the country was given the dubious

title of "most murderous for journalists" for the 14 journalists murdered the

previous year.

News reports on Pace's death all describe him as a hard-hitting

anchorman who often attacked corrupt politicians and the illegal drug trade.

We will again point out, as we have done so in the past and, given the

trend, we are afraid we will continue to do so in the future, that the

utter failure of government and its security forces to stop the killings and

bring all those responsible to account has nurtured a culture of impunity

that emboldens those who ¯ officially or not ¯ wish to silence the truth and

stifle the free flow of information and ideas.

Whether Pace was killed by a crooked politician, a ruthless criminal,

or a government thug, the manner in which he was killed follows the all too

familiar pattern of motorcycle-riding gunmen that has become the common

denominator in the murders of journalists and activists.

Because nothing has been done against this modus operandi, killers of

all stripes and inclination have found what amounts to a convenient cloak

of anonymity.

This merely bolsters our contention and that of human rights

organizations that the continued refusal or inability of the very institutions and agencies mandated to protect our lives and liberties to fulfill their

sworn duties is tantamount to culpability.

Reference:

JOSE TORRES, JR.

Spokesperson

National Union of Journalists of the Philippines

09209010013

4117768