Philippines: Explosion Outside Catholic Radio

Philippines: Explosion Outside Catholic Radio Station

In a letter sent to the interior minister, Alfredo Lim, Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) protested against a bomb explosion that damaged the premises of the Roman Catholic radio station DXMS, and asked the minister to enforce the law and ensure journalists' safety.

According to RSF, attacks on state-owned and private media show a deterioration of the state of press freedom in the country. RSF also asked the minister to open an inquiry so that full light might be shed on the case.

According to the information collected by Reporters Sans Frontières, a bomb exploded outside the building that houses DXMS in Cotabato, Mindanao Island, on 27 February, just before the start of the programme hosted by Zamzamin Ampatuan, a journalist who is strongly critical of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF, separatist Moslems).

Several people were injured in the blast, which also damaged Zamzamini's car, and the gate and concrete fence of the radio station. Mohagher Iqbal, an MILF leader, has denied that his movement was behind the attack. _________________________________________________________________________

Reporters Sans Frontières defends jailed journalists and press freedom throughout the world, that is, the right to inform and be informed, in accordance with Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Reporters Sans Frontières has seven branches (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland) representatives in London, Washington, Abidjan and Istanbul and more than a hundred correspondents worldwide.

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PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is an independent, non-profit, non-government organisation comprising journalists, lawyers, editors and other media workers, dedicated to examining issues of ethics, accountability, censorship, media freedom and media ownership in the Pacific region. Launched in October 1996, it has links with the Journalism Program at the University of the South Pacific, Bushfire Media, the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism, and Pactok Communications, in Sydney and Port Moresby.

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