The Philippines proved again it is one of the most dangerous countries for journalists, following the death of at least 24 people in Maguindanao, local and international media organizations said.
At least 12 journalists covering the filing of certificate of candidacy of Vice Mayor Ismael “Toto” Mangudadatu, and Mangudadatu’s wife Genalyn were among those killed.
“This incident not only erases all doubts about the Philippines being the most dangerous country for journalists in the world, outside of Iraq, it could very well place the country on the map as a candidate for a failed democracy,” the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines said in a statement.
Authorities have linked the murders to political rival Shariff Aguak Mayor Datu Andal Ampatuan, who has yet to give a statement to media outfits.
Among the journalists reportedly slain were Ian Subang (Dadiangas Times), Leah Dalmacio (Forum), Gina dela Cruz (Today), Marites Cablitas (Today), Joy Duhay (UNTV), Henry Araneta (DZRH), Andy Teodoro (Mindanao Inquirer), Neneng Montaño (formerly of RGMA), Bong Reblando, (Manila Bulletin), Victor Nuñez (UNTV), Macmac Ariola (UNTV), Jimmy Cabillo (UNTV), Bart Maravilla (Bombo Radyo, Koronadal) and lawyers Cynthia Oquendo and Connie Brizuela, according to a statement from University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (UP CMC), citing reports.
“This is the darkest day in the history of journalism in the Philippines, which, outside of Iraq, has topped the tables of countries where journalists are most at risk in recent years,” said the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
Reporters Without Borders also condemned the ongoing culture of impunity in Mindanao, a region more known for extremists and clan wars.
“We have often condemned the culture of impunity and violence in the Philippines, especially Mindanao. This time, the frenzied violence of thugs working for corrupt politicians has resulted in an incomprehensible bloodbath. We call for a strong reaction from the local and national authorities,” Reporters Without Borders said.
Philippines' Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility however reminded journalists to steer clear of any danger.
"We affirm that it is the media’s crucial task to provide the citizenry the information it needs so it can make such decisions as to who to vote for as well as others related to its well-being and safety. We reiterate, however, that no story is worth the life of a single journalist," CMFR said in a statement.
Journalism instructors from the UP CMC meanwhile lambasted the government for its supposed failure to disband local politicians’ private armies.
“The Department of Journalism of the U.P. College of Mass Communication holds the Arroyo government accountable for the continuing state of lawless violence in Maguindanao and other parts of the country,” the UP CMC added in a statement.
They said that “while the massacre was being perpetrated, the President’s chief political adviser was in fact shaking hands with the Ampatuans in Malacañang yesterday, even as the PNP chief for Maguindanao refused to respond when the victims were calling him up by cell phone.”
“We need a strong and urgent response from the Philippine government and the international community,” added Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary.
MANILA, Philippines - The military launched air and ground operations yesterday as President Arroyo placed the provinces of Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato City under a state of emergency in the wake of the gruesome massacre that claimed the lives of at least 46 people.
“There is an urgent need to prevent and suppress the occurrence of several other incidents of lawless violence,” Mrs. Arroyo stated in Proclamation 1946, issued following a closed-door meeting with security officials in Malacañang.
At the same time, the President ordered the “immediate, relentless pursuit” of the perpetrators and vowed that they would be brought to justice for their “dastardly act.”
The President designated Presidential Adviser for Mindanao Jesus Dureza as head of the crisis team that would handle the investigation and contain the situation.
She also directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to place any witnesses under the Witness Protection Program (WPP).
“The President’s order is very clear and succinct: Pursue the case no matter who gets hurt,” Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said.
“The President sees this (incident) as unconscionable and barbaric,” Remonde said.
Malacañang described Monday’s attack as the worst political violence in recent history.
Remonde said the state of emergency declaration would allow the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to undertake measures to prevent a possible full-blown war between the followers of the two political families in the region.
Remonde added the declaration of a state of emergency would help the government security forces disarm private armies in the area.
The state of emergency would also allow the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus in the region, according to Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III.
Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs Gabriel Claudio said Malacañang has yet to decide whether to hold a special election in the region in the aftermath of the massacre.
“Not only because of the incident but because of the volatility of the area. I think there is reason for the Comelec (Commission on Elections) to definitely look into the area and then probably consider a special treatment as far as the conduct of the elections is concerned,” Claudio said.
More grisly find
Police said the convoy of more than 40 people, including 12 journalists, were accompanying Genalyn Mangudadatu, the wife of Buluan vice mayor Ismael Mangudadatu, to file his certificate of candidacy to run for provincial governor when they were stopped by some 100 heavily armed men and taken hostage on a remote highway in Barangay Salman near the town of Ampatuan.
Soldiers and police initially found 21 bodies, including Genalyn and Mangudadatu’s two sisters, Eden, the vice mayor of Mangudadatu town, and Farina, sprawled on the ground about five kilometers from where they were taken.
The police and military yesterday pulled out more bullet-riddled bodies from shallow graves near the site where the victims had been taken.
Police said they now have a total of 46 bodies.
“It’s a big area where these bodies were found. They are finding a couple of bodies every couple of hours or so,” according to Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno who flew in from Manila with PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa to oversee the investigation.
Puno said the other bodies recovered yesterday had been included in the death toll but he would not speculate on how many people in total had been murdered.
Authorities warned the death toll would climb as they sought to deal with the fallout from last Monday’s events in which a political clan is alleged to have tried to wipe out its rivals.
The identity of the attackers was unclear, but the military said it is believed the motive of the attack was political. The Mangudadatus blamed the Ampatuan family for the incident.
Genalyn was to file her husband’s certificate of candidacy to contest the governorship of Andal Ampatuan Sr., the patriarch of the Ampatuan family.
Ampatuan has been elected governor of Maguindanao three times previously, always unopposed, although he resigned from the post earlier this year, apparently to circumvent the term limits of elected officials.
Ampatuan has survived a dozen attacks on his life. He has blamed those assaults, one of which claimed the life of his son, on political rivals.
The Ampatuans are known political allies of President Arroyo in the region.
Claudio, however, stressed Malacañang is not making any judgment as to who was behind the carnage.
He said the Ampatuans and the Mangudadatus are not only political allies but also belong to the ruling party Lakas-Kampi-CMD.
“This is much more than a political situation and it is being addressed as such,” Claudio said.
Focus on the suspects
President Arroyo ordered Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales to fly to Maguindanao and oversee the military action against the attackers and secure the region.
Thousands of government troops had been deployed to prevent a possible spillover of violence.
Gonzales, who had a meeting with military commanders in the region, said the massive deployment of military and police forces was meant to physically secure the province of Maguindanao and to prevent further outbreak of hostilities between the Mangudadatu and Ampatuan clans.
He said the police, under the state of emergency, are empowered to enforce the cancellation of firearm permits in the region.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner said helicopter gunships, bomber planes and armored personnel carriers were sent to the area to go after the suspects.
Roadblocks manned by the police and military had been increased to block possible retaliatory attempts by the followers of the two political families.
“We have deployed more troops to go after the criminals,” he said.
Brawner said the troops would augment the 3,000 troops already based in the region. He said the troops are under orders to arrest the followers of the Ampatuan family, who are suspected to have carried out the murders.
The military said the Ampatuan clan, which has a political lock on the areas of Maguindanao where the murders took place, is the prime suspect.
“The suspects are bodyguards of Ampatuan, local police aides, and certain lawless elements. We maintain the Ampatuans are the suspects,” Brawner said.
Puno added the investigation would be completed within a couple of days and arrests will be made.
“There are no sacred cows,” Puno told reporters. “It is going to be a direct investigation of the crimes committed. We have some information about specific names, not just those who ordered this thing, but also those who committed it.”
Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to help in the investigation.
She said the NBI is expected to confirm the identities of the suspects behind the massacre and help the police and military in tracking them down.
“We will ensure the expeditious prosecution of all those who are responsible for this atrocity. The DOJ shall work on these cases until we have prosecuted the perpetrators to its successful conclusion,” Devanadera said.
Police officers suspended
The PNP has ordered the relief of two senior police officers who allegedly participated in the massacre.
Verzosa ordered the “restrictive custody” of Maguindanao police provincial director Senior Superintendent Abusana Maguid and Chief Inspector Sukarno Dikay, Shariff Aguak police chief.
“They were relieved from post and placed under restrictive custody of the (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Cotabato City,” PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said.
Dikay was relieved and taken into custody after he was allegedly seen among the gunmen that took the hostages.
“He (Dikay) was seen at the scene of the crime together with some (militiamen),” Espina said.
Maguid, on the other hand, was sacked for command responsibility, according to Espina.
Espina said the investigation would also focus on the possible lapse of security by the local police in preventing clan wars from occurring.
The probe would also focus on why the police failed to detect a large number of heavily armed men in the area.
Sources revealed two other police officers were also implicated in the massacre.
They were identified only as a certain SPO2 Bacal and an Inspector Jubingan.
Espina, however, refused to implicate the Ampatuan family directly for the carnage.
“We have many names, we hear Datu Unsay (mayor Andal) Ampatuan (Jr.) and his group were allegedly the ones who stopped the group of Mangudadatu and he is the subject of verification. We will determine who are culpable, who are responsible and we will charge them in court. When there is a warrant we will arrest them,” Espina said.
Espina added they are still verifying reports that four people survived the massacre and are now under the protective custody of the Mangudadatus. The four witnesses survived the attack when they fell behind the convoy and turned back when they heard gunshots, a source said. The survivors identified the Ampatuans as being behind the ambush.
Initial reports said the witnesses overheard Datu Ampatuan Jr. say that he was acting on orders of his father, Ampatuan Sr. and older brother Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan.
Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu told local radio that the four survivors are now under their protective custody.
“They will come out at the right time, they are safe with us,” he said. –With James Mananghaya, Cecille Suerte Felipe, John Unson, Roel Pareño, Edu Punay, Mike Frialde, Edith Regalado, Sandy Araneta, AP - By Paolo Romero (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)
The 76-year-old Aquino was diagnosed with colon cancer in March of last year and was treated with chemotherapy. Last May, she underwent surgery to remove parts of her colon and was brought to the Makati Medical Center in June due to loss of appetite. She never left the hospital, as her declining condition sparked a wave of emotion in the country and prompted the widespread appearance of yellow ribbons - on trees, car antennas, and even the Web.
“She would have wanted us to thank each and everyone of you for all your continued love and support. It was her wish for all of us to pray for one another and for our country," Senator Aquino said. "Hinihiling ng aming pamilya ng kaunting panahon para makasama ang aming ina."
He added that they chose a private funeral arrangement for the late president rather than avail of a state funeral in Malacañang. [See: No state funeral for Aquino]
After being confined for barely two months at the Makati Medical Center, Mrs. Aquino passed away early Saturday morning surrounded by her children.
Celebrity host and family friend Boy Abunda was inside Mrs. Aquino’s hospital room during the final moments of the former president's bout with cancer.
"They were praying the sorrowful mystery… Doon niya hininga ang last gasp niya(That's where she gasped her final breath). They were praying around the bed [with] the children… Pagkatapos dumating iyong malalapit na kamag-anak at malalapit na pamilya(Then, the close relatives arrived)," Abunda recounted to reporters waiting outside the MMC.
Abunda observed that while the other Aquino children “silently wept" when their mother died, celebrity Kris Aquino, the youngest of the five siblings, seemed the strongest.
"Kris was very quiet. She was [showing] such courage," Abunda said.
Dressed in her signature yellow, Mrs. Aquino rallied the middle class in a series of protests culminating in the 1986 people power revolt that toppled the 20-year regime of strongman Ferdinand Marcos and swept her to the presidency.
She blamed the Marcos government for the assassination of her husband, opposition leader Benigno “Ninoy" Aquino Jr., who was gunned down at the Manila airport upon returning from exile in 1983.
The former housewife reluctantly took over as Marcos’ main challenger, becoming an international icon of democracy after her victory sparked a wave of pro-democracy movements around the world. Time Magazine named Mrs. Aquino its Woman of the Year in 1986.
With reports from Sophia Dedace, Andreo Calonzo, Aie Balagtas See, Ruby Anne M. Rubio and Cheryl M. Arcibal GMANews.TV
Influenza pandemic alert raised to phase 6
11 June 2009 -- On the basis of available evidence and expert assessments of the evidence, the scientific criteria for an influenza pandemic have been met. The Director-General of WHO has therefore decided to raise the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 5 to phase 6. "The world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic," she said at a press conference today.
Read Dr Chan's statement to the press
D.O.H. Philippines
Statement of Secretary Francisco T. Duque III, MD, MSc on the WHO Declaration of Pandemic Alert Level 6
On June 11, 2009, Director-General Margaret Chan of the World Health Organization declared that the “world is now at the start of the 2009 Influenza pandemic ” after raising the Pandemic Alert Level for the novel Influenza A virus from Level 5 to Level 6.
Influenza A (H1N1) is fatal to humans
Signs and symptoms in humans
- similar to the symptoms of regular flu such as
- Fever
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Lack of appetite
- Runny nose
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Vomitting or nausea
- Diarrhea
By IOL Health & Science Staff
What is swine flu?
Swine flu is an acute respiratory disease caused by type A Influenza virus which infects pigs. It spreads among pigs through direct and indirect contact. Its incidence increases in winter and fall, although present all year round. Swine flu normally infects pigs. However, the virus can cross the species barrier to infect humans.
What are the signs and symptoms of swine flu in people?
Symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of seasonal Influenza and range from asymptomatic cases to fatal pneumonia.
Symptoms might include, fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, as well as diarrhea and vomiting in some cases. It can also worsen chronic diseases already present.
How do people catch swine flu?
People usually catch the infection directly from infected pigs and places contaminated with the virus.
Human to human infection is also documented. In this case, the infection is thought to spread the same way as seasonal flu, through airborne particles.
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The person should be considered potentially contagious as long as he/she is still symptomatic for a period of up to seven days. Children might be contagious for a longer duration than this.
What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?
Avoid direct contact with sick people.
Wash your hands with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing.
Always use a tissue to cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, and discard the tissue immediately after that.
If you catch the flu, stay at home, and avoid contact with others. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth to prevent further spread of infection.
What are emergency signs?
According to the CDC:
In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
-Fast breathing or trouble breathing
-Bluish skin color
-Not drinking enough fluids
-Not waking up or not interacting
-Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
-Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
-Fever with a rash
In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
-Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
-Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
-Sudden dizziness
-Confusion
-Severe or persistent vomiting
Are there available medications to treat swine flu?
Antiviral drugs can be of use by keeping the virus from reproducing in the body. It will make the patient feel better faster, and make the illness milder. It can also prevent serious complications. The sooner the antiviral drug is taken, the better the outcome.
Is there a human vaccine to protect from swine influenza?
Not yet. This is because influenza viruses mutate very quickly, which will not allow adequate matching between the circulating virus and the vaccine virus. Current flu vaccines based on WHO recommendations do not include the swine flu virus.
Sources:
"Q&A: Swine Flu." BBC News. 26 April 2009. Accessed 26 April 2009.
"Swine Influenza and You." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Accessed 26 April 2009.
"Swine Influenza Frequently Asked Questions." World Health Organization. 23 April 2009. Accessed 26 April 2009.
