CLARK FREEPORT—The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) has announced a series of activities to commemorate the fifth year of the Ampatuan Massacre on November 23 with an aggressive social-media campaign, “58 dead. 5 years. 0 justice.”
On top of the list is a visit by an international mission, led by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the NUJP from November 20 to 24 in General Santos City, other places in Mindanao, and Manila.
The delegates will also meet with government officials, including Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on November 22 and the Task Force Usig Head Senior Supt. Henry Libay on November 24 at the National Police headquarters in Camp Rafael Crame, Quezon City.
There will be a visit to the massacre site in Ampatuan, Maguindanao, by the families of the victims of the massacre and officers and members of NUJP on November 21. It will be followed by the unveiling of an “installation art, revisiting the Ampatuan Massacre” on November 23 at 9 am at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani. This is an initiative of the advertising giant, BBDO Guererro.
Later on the same day, the NUJP will join the Milyong Tanglaw para sa Katarungan at the Edsa Shrine at 5 p.m. NUJP chapters all over the country will hold similar candle lighting activities in their respective areas.
NUJP-Pampanga will hold its commemoration of the Ampatuan Massacre on Saturday, at 5 p.m. at the Salakot, Bayanihan Park, Balibago, Angeles City.
Other chapters and other media organizations will hold fora and discussions in schools, colleges and universities. The NUJP has launched an advertising campaign in coordination with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas and the Philippine Press Institute. The ads are aired on all television and radio stations nationwide and published in major and local dailies. The campaign materials were produced by the Philippine Integrated Advertising Agency and WYD Productions.
A social-media campaign is also under way bearing the campaign line: “58 dead. 5 years. 0 justice” Ampatuan Massacre 11.23.2009.”
The NUJP is enjoining its members and fellow press freedom advocates to use the icon (a backhoe with red background) as their profile pic from November 17 to 23 to serve as a reminder of the most gruesome attack on journalists in history.
The Photojournalists’ Center of the Philippines enjoins the commemoration by posting “black photos” in broadsheets and tabloids.
Meanwhile, the IFJ-NUJP mission will be meeting with the families of the victims of the massacre, and the local media. The international mission delegates will also join the million candle activity at the Edsa Shrine on November 23.
In a statement, the NUJP said the commemoration activities intend to “look back and see how five years of corruption and apathy have conspired to thwart not only justice for the Ampatuan 58, but allowed the impunity with which journalists, farmers, indigenous people, religious and others whose only crime is to exercise their right to free expression, continue to be murdered.”
“From today until November 23 and beyond, let us remind this government of its unfulfilled and broken promises of justice, of respect for our basic rights and freedoms, of good governance,” the NUJP statement said.