In his speech, Marcardo said: “It deeply hurts. What do they think about us journalists? Don’t we have family, wives, children? Only because of the personal business interest of the others, of their interest to earn a living, they kill people to feed their family?”
While Mascardo’s speech criticizing Guarin’s killers was made in broad terms, it was still enough for him to get death threats. “This clearly indicates the degenerating conditions in General
The AHRC said it appreciates the security escort provided by the local police to Mascardo.
“In fact, unless the escorts operate with the utmost professionalism and responsibility, their presence would have little meaning to local journalists, who have been carrying firearms to protect themselves. This common practice illustrates the stark reality that journalists have lost trust and confidence that their local police could protect them. The police force who failed to protect Guarin, the murdered journalist whose killing is the subject of Mascardo’s criticism, has yet to prove it is capable to investigate the killing and protect others from a similar fate,” AHRC said.
“The threat against Mascardo clearly illustrates the extent of lawlessness and insecurity the city has descended into, with the police taking few effective measures. Furthermore, when local journalists and ordinary people take action to resolve the murders of journalists, like raising reward money to identify those who masterminded Guarin’s killing, they are not acknowledged. In fact, the city’s local mayor, Darlene Custodio, claimed that such efforts were not helpful, and hampered the police investigation into Guarin’s murder,” it added.
AHRC said rather than being critical, the local police and city government should recognize journalists’ efforts to address these killings and threats. “Where the state fails or neglects its duty to protect and punish, intervention by citizens to hasten investigation must be welcomed,” it said.
The AHRC also reiterated that the local police must reconsider their emphasis that Guarin’s murder and the threats on other journalists are not related to their profession. It said it is the police’s legal responsibility to investigate crimes regardless of who the victims are.
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