BULAKAN, Bulacan – Fifty journalists mostly belonging to the National Union of Jounalists in the Philippines (NUJP) gathered here last Saturday, May 3, laid wreaths at the National Shrine of Marcelo H. del Pilar, offered flowers to slain colleagues and raised clenched fists to mark World Press Freedom Day.

The NUJP decided to honor Del Pilar, born of this town (southwest of Bulacan province and 35 kilometers north of Manila), editor of the revolutionary paper La Solidaridad at the time of the country’s revolution against Spain, to emphasize the need for journalists to reckon the past, particularly periods of history when media played a very important role to defend freedom and democracy.

“This gathering marks our commitment to continue fighting to uphold the truth. Even while fewer killings of journalists have been noted a while, the Philippines remains on the shame list of countries notorious for crimes against press freedom,” said Jose Torres, president of the NUJP.

Torres noted that at least 93 journalists have been killed since 1986, 58 of whom were slain starting February 2001, after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took over the country’s reins. Less than 10 percent of these cases have been lodged in the courts.

“To date, there are no masterminds identified in the cases and investigation of the other cases is dragging.” Torres decried. Tonette Orejas, a journalist from Pampanga (83 kilometers north of Manila), said of the seven libel charges filed against journalists in her province, only hers was dismissed. Six other writers have been convicted by the court. One of them, George Hubierna, has his case pending at the appellate level and is just out on bail.

Several more are facing libel charges in different parts of the country, many already convicted and with cases on appeal The celebration drew the support of NUJP members from major national daily news such as the Philippine Daily Inquirer and the Manila Times; the three major television networks GMA7, ABS-CBN and ABC5; major online publications such as GMANews.tv and Bulatlat.

It was graced by highly respected names in the media particularly Joey Pavia Sr., president of the Philippine Press Institute, and Isagani Yampot of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. It was ably supported by NUJP chapters in Pampanga, Olongapo and Subic in Zambales (210 kilometers north of Manila) and Bulacan which hosted the affair.

Among the news organizations that offered "Press Freedom wreaths" were NUJP, Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, Philippine Press Institute, ABC 5 and Philippine Daily Inquirer and the Punla (Pulso ng Madla) a local paper.

Other news organizations and networks in attendance were CLTv Channel 36, ABS-CBN Channel 46, Gitnang Luson News Service and Punto! Central Luzon all of Pampanga, plus the community newspapers Mabuhay, Newscore and Punla, all of Bulacan.