From brutality to accountability STAGGERING. This best describes how the Philippine news media community is currently experiencing more than a month after the Ampatuan massacre last Nov. 23 that killed at least 57 people, 32 of them journalists and media workers. Even then, it has to move forward from this sorry condition to fully get back to the crucial business of reporting about the real state of the country and its peoples. And seeking accountability for the brutality will be its most pressing challenge in moving forward. Bringing before the bar of justice the people responsible for the crime will be a Editor’s Note major eff ort to pursue. Another will be a more vigorous campaign to battle the culture of impunity. This is the very social circumstance that shaped up the character of the massacre perpetrators. In this edition of the PECOJON Digest, we train our sight on the signiicant issues related to the Nov. 23 massacre in aid of making sense of the dire event. In his story “Patience in search of justice,” long-time justice beat reporter Karlon Rama shows us the legal landscape attendant to the struggle to seek accountability for the brutality suff ered by the victims of the Ampatuan massacre. This provides us a peek into the hard realities FOUNDED in 2004 by Filipino and German journalists, PECOJON - The Peace of litigation in which crafty and Confl ict Journalism Network, unites reporters, editors, photographers and academicians and other communication professionals under the goal of providing moves are equally vital as the human, confl ict-sensitive and quality reporting of confl ict, crisis and war. weight of evidence to prove a Through this type of reporting, it aims to empower people in the most challenging case. moments of their lives to make well-informed decisions and reclaim control over their A sidebar story summarizes situation despite the manipulative power of propaganda and the painful experience of confl ict and war. the arguments of several Ampatuan clan members in Along this principal goal, PECOJON seeks to develop the capacity of the news industry to undertake confl ict-sensitive journalism. 1 T h e P e a c e a n d C o n f l i c t J o u r n a l i s m N e t w o r k CONTENTS PAGE TITLE answer to allegations they planned and carried out the massacre. Mindanao-based journalist Ryan Rosauro’s “Counting deaths and toll on the living” tries to fathom the impact of the massacre on the Philippine news media community which continues to stagger with the event up to now. 4PATIENce AMPATUANS BELIE IN SEARCH OF JUSTICE WITNESS CLAIM An accompanying article describes the eff ort of the National Union 5 of Journalists of the Philippines to set up a Justice Fund to bankroll activities geared at seeking accountability for the incident and the related circumstances that contributed to the shape up of events leading COUNTING DEATHS to the carnage. 12 GROUPS RESPOND AND TOLL ON THE LIVING TO MASSACRE AFTERMATH “Clans in clash” provides us a historical look at the relationship 17 between the Mangudadatu and Ampatuan families, and tries to trace the source of their falling out. A sidebar story by Ben Jason Tesiorna, “Starting them young?” 18 describes how some scions of both the Mangudadatu and Ampatuan PEN VS. SWORD PHOTO ESSAY clans were reared into the gun culture widely prevalent in their home communities. A photo essay by Rommel G. Rebollido, “Pen vs Sword,” takes us to the emotion-illed and gripping moments in the wake of the massacre. 27 STARTING THEM YOUNG? In this edition, and hopefully in the others that follow, we feature CLANS IN CLASH 28 viewpoints that enrich the body of knowledge underpinning the practice of conlict-sensitive reporting. The editorial, “Uncovering the coverage landscape” is an attempt to squeeze lessons from the incident on reporting about sensitive topics from conlict-ridden areas like Maguindanao. We also run here a piece by Antonia Koop, “An Open Letter to Non- EDITOR'S NOTE EDITORIAL: AN OPEN journalists,” which she wrote in the aftermath of the massacre. It is 1FROM BRUTALITY 30uncovering the 33LETTERTO an appeal for greater public ‘ownership’ of the journalism profession TO ACCOUNTABILITY coverage landscape NON-JOURNALISTS and hence, also public obligation to protect the lives of journalists. Journalism is not about journalists; it is about public interest. Beyond the enormous loss, it can be categorically said that journalists in the Philippines have found themselves in greater community with one another in the aftermath of the massacre. This can be the situation- OUR COVER. Erlyn Umpad weeps while grieving for her loved one, changing asset for them, not only to cope, but to overcome.I UNTV reporter McDelbert Arriola who was killed along with 57 others in Maguindanao on Nov. 23. Cover photo by Rommel Rebollido PECOJON Digest remembers the Nov. 23 massacre by the colors of its cover. Black joins the families, rela ves and friends in mourning those 2 killed and red reminds the ruthless killings on that day. T h e P e a c e a n d C o n f l i c t J o u r n a l i s m N e t w o r k D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 5 of 57 people, 32 of whom were media Akmad Ampatuan, Shariff Aguak Mayor practitioners, in Sitio Masalay, Barangay Anwar Ampatuan, Acting Maguindanao Patience in search of justice Salman, Ampatuan town, Maguindanao. Governor Sajid Ampatuan, and Krauner On the other hand, the Philippine Ampatuan have yet to be charged in Court Swift justice has been a persistent cry of though. those who lost loved ones in the Ampatuan National Police has detained six other massacre. Yet, the Philippine legal system members of the Ampatuan family, all Complaints, which include rebellion, provides enough opportunity for the taken within hours after the President’s have also been iled against them and accused to prolong the process. imposition of Martial Law over the entire over 600 more people. As of this writing, Maguindanao province on Dec. 5, 2009. these are still undergoing preliminary Former Maguindanao Governor investigation. Andal Ampatuan Sr., Autonomous Region for Muslin Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Complaints Zaldy Ampatuan, Mamasapano Vice Mayor Defense lawyer Sigfrid Fortun, who represents Andal Jr. in what is sure to be a lengthy legal battle, has already accused the justice department of bias. He highlighted his point by telling a panel of prosecutors last Dec. 18 that Andal Jr. was not Text by Karlon N. Rama and COURTS. Government prosecutors fi le murder going to submit a photos by Froilan O. Gallardo charges against Andal Ampatuan Jr., at a local counter-afidavit. court in Cotabato City. The panel was then conducting Its doors then forced CACHE. Hundreds of rounds of ammunition for machineguns, mortars the preliminary a yawning chasm great, Roman philosopher, “but they grind and rifl es were found by government troops in hastily dug pits around investigation on the Shariff Aguak town. Unfolding giant wings attached with pins exceedingly ine.” Of brass in two-way hinges. Chairperson Leila De Lima of the Squealing dins Commission on Human Rights reminds The air with painful moans, journalists and victims’ families not to Ampatuans belie witness claim as doors ixed fast take the law into their hands, following With rows of riveted bolts FOUR of the six Ampatuan family members the police held following the Nov. 23 killings in an incident where journalists mobbed wheel lazily past Maguindanao have formally denied any involvement to the incident and, in separate counter- and hurt Andal Ampatuan Jr., principal affi davits, cited a lack of direct evidence linking them to any crime. -- Parmenides’ maidens persuade suspect in the Nov. 23 massacre. Brothers Zaldy, Sajid Islam and Anwar, as well as cousin Akmad Ampatuan, all of whom hold vengeful Justice to open Her Gates “Irrespective of what we think or feel, public offi ce in Maguindanao, claimed they were not aware of the massacre, with one saying everyone has human rights, even suspects he was with President Arroyo when the killing took place. THE gates of justice turn on slow and convicted criminals. Violators of the In a three-page affi davit, subscribed before Assistant City Prosecutor Venchito Bangayan of hinges and the private complainants in the law have limited rights but have rights General Santos, Zaldy, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) governor, called the murder cases against an indicted member nonetheless. The only limitations are allega ons of a witness a “sham”. of the Ampatuan family, as well as others those set by law, such as restrictions to The witness, Kenny Dalagdag, is an alleged member of the Ampatuans’ supposed private still undergoing preliminary investigation, right of liberty on account of detention,” army who claimed to be present during a mee ng a day before the killings at the Shariff Aguak can only wait. De Lima said. home of Andal Ampatuan Sr. Yet comfort may lie in the surviving Andal Jr. stands charged with 56 The plan to kill the journalists and supporters of Buluan town vice mayor Esmael “Toto” words of the late Sextus Empiricus. “The counts of murder before the Regional Ampatuan belie X11 mills of the gods grind slow,” says the Trial Court (RTC) for the Nov. 23 massacre T h e P e a c e a n d C o n f l i c t J o u r n a l i s m N e t w o r k D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 7 remaining 16 of the now 56 counts of A counter-afidavit is a legal document allegedly trying to go up in arms against that not giving the trial court enough elbow murder against him.