Nilo Baculo, Sr.
MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / June 9, 2014) – A Filipino radio broadcaster, who previously sought court protection following a death threat, was shot dead Monday outside his home in Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro province, about 140 km southwest of Manila.
The media watchdog National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said the 67-year old Nilo Baculo, Sr. was killed by a still unidentified gunman. It strongly condemned the attack on Baculo, who in 2008 asked a court for protection after learning of a plot to kill him from the hired gun contracted to carry out the hit.
The NUJP said the courts failed to protect Baculo, saying the threats against the broadcaster was “unsubstantiated” until now. Following the court’s denial to protect him, Baculo said: “Our justice system is rotten. You have to die first before you can prove that a threat does exist.”
“Baculo’s words had proven sadly prophetic,” the media organization said.
Baculo, who hosted a news talk and public service program “Isumbong Mo kay Ka Nilo” over radio station dwIM in Calapan City, was the 165th journalist murdered in the Philippines – the 33rd under the watch of President Benigno Aquino, and the fourth this year.
“Between a President who dismisses media killings because to him, most victims are targeted not because of professional activities, but, shall we say, other issues, courts that, as Baculo sadly foretold, will believe lives are in danger only when those lives are actually lost, and security forces that, as a recent Human Rights Watch report and a number of other investigations into journalists’ murders have noted, are most likely involved, demanding, even hoping for, justice may seem to be an exercise in futility.
But we cannot give in to despair and cynicism,” the NUJP said.
“We will continue to cry out for justice. We will continue to call out Mr. Aquino, as we have called out the presidents before him, for their accountability in our colleagues’ deaths, not least of all because of their apathy. We will never tire of pointing out that the State’s failure to protect its own citizens makes it accountable for each and every extrajudicial murder that makes a mockery of all claims to our being a democracy,” it added.
NUJP said it will never tire in urging journalists and media workers, and the public to come together and join in demanding accountability and justice.
“For more than apathetic or even complicit government, the other sure way to ensure that the impunity with which extrajudicial killings is committed will continue to thrive is indifference,” it said.
There was no immediate statement either from Aquino or to any of his spokesmen about the latest killing, which was also condemned by other Filipino media groups.
Just last month, motorcycle gunmen also killed a 35-year old radio broadcaster Richard Najid in an attack in Tawi-Tawi province, also in southern Philippines.
Nadjid, the manager of radio station dxNN, was shot several times in the village of Tubig Boh in the capital town of Bongao. He was heading home on a motorbike when gunmen attacked him. The motive of the killing remains unknown.
The provincial police chief Joselito Salido quickly dismissed the possibility of Najid’s murder was related to his work, saying, the victim was just a disc jockey. Salido’s statement drew criticisms from various media groups. (Mindanao Examiner)
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