Bedolido, 50, worked for the The Kastigador weekly newspaper. He had written exposés against a politician in Davao del Sur Province of Mindanao during May elections this year, according to The Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Bedolido was the 137th journalist assassinated in the Philippines since 1986, according to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.
Less than five days before Bedolido’s death, two Philippine radio reporters were assassinated in separate cases. Desiderio Camangyan and Joselito Agustin were both outspoken critics of local politics.
Reporting on corruption is particularly dangerous in the Philippines.
“Many of the media personnel who have been murdered are well known to have spoken out on or to have investigated corruption issues,” Deborah Muir from the International Federation for Journalists (IFJ), told Australia’s national ABC radio.
Government Laissez Faire
The Philippines is also well known for impunity in cases of journalist homicide, Ms. Muir said.
Murder charges have been filed in Camangyan’s case against Vice Mayor, Pacifico Velasco, of Bacarra, a town in the northern Philippines. The mayor’s bodyguard is believed to be the gunman responsible for Camangyan’s death.
So far no one has been arrested.
The Philippines’ record for successful prosecutions in reporter death cases is shockingly low with only four since 1986 according to the IFJ.
In response to these most recent killings, the assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of State, Philip J. Crowley, said, “We deplore the killings of journalists and urge the Philippine authorities to move quickly to bring those responsible to justice. ... Greater progress must be made to halt such killings.”
Reporters Without Borders sent a letter to newly elected Philippine president, Benigno Aquino, on June 9 calling on him to break the barricade of impunity surrounding media killings that began during former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s tenure.
Massacre Witness Slain
One of the key witnesses to November’s politically motivated ambush massacre in which 32 journalists were killed was murdered last week.
According to local media, the witness Suwaid Upham applied last March for the Department of Justice’s Witness Protection Program but his interview for the program never took place, despite two scheduled meetings.
Upham had admitted that he was one of the gunmen in the massacre, and had identified Andal Jr. son of the provincial governor, as one of the other gunmen.
Ampatuan was brought before court, but the case was suspended in February Ms. Muir said.
Murder charges have been filed against 197 persons allegedly involved in the massacre, but no other prosecutions are underway at this time.
The massacre highlights “the inability and unwillingness of the state to ensure the protection and safety of journalists who are seeking to perform their duties,” according to an investigation led by the IFJ and other journalist organizations.
In an interview with Al Jazeera television, Upham quoted Andal Jr. saying in regard to the case against him, “Nothing will happen to their case. Our money can buy all of them,” according to the Philippine Star.
With additional reporting by Jasper Fakkert and June Kellum
