THE NATIONAL UNION of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)- Quezon Chapter strongly condemns the drastic attack against our colleague Rubylita Garcia, 52, a reporter for Remate.
A thorough investigation must be done to determine the motive of the attack and the identity of the suspects and who’s behind.
Garcia, a reporter for Remate sustained at least four gunshot wounds when unidentified number of gunmen barged inside her home in Barangay Talaba,Bacoor Cavite around 10:15 a.m., April 6, 2014 and repeatedly shot her. The victim underwent an operation at St. Dominic hospital in the city but died at past 3 p.m.
It is very ironic that since Pres. Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III came to office and they say that the nation is in “democracy” again, a claim that becomes more tenuous with each media killing.
But this government, which came to power on the promise of justice and human rights and chooses not only to downplay the enormity of the problem but denigrates the victims by deigning to dismiss some of them as “not legitimate” or work related.
It is all too clear to us that the president’s promises are meaningless. He is just as guilty as those who gave the orders to kill and those who pulled the trigger.
Any unresolved attack or killing of journalists deepens the culture of impunity that leads to more violence against media workers.
We demand justice for Rubylita Garcia and all our colleagues who became victims of heinous attacks.