(AMARC/IFEX) – AMARC condemns the burning down of Radyo Cagayano dwRC 90.1 FM in the Cagayan province of the Philippines. Speaking at a press conference in Quezon City, Ms. Bianca Miglioretto, Vice President of the Women’s International Network and a Board Member of AMARC Asia Pacific, expressed grave concern over the incident. “Community radio is […]
(AMARC/IFEX) – AMARC condemns the burning down of Radyo Cagayano dwRC 90.1 FM in the Cagayan province of the Philippines. Speaking at a press conference in Quezon City, Ms. Bianca Miglioretto, Vice President of the Women’s International Network and a Board Member of AMARC Asia Pacific, expressed grave concern over the incident. “Community radio is one way of giving a voice to the voiceless. If this voice is taken away by burning the people’s community radio station, it is a grave violation of their right to communicate,” she said. “We will start a campaign of protest to pressure the Philippine government to give justice to the people of Radyo Cagayano,” she added.
On 2 July 2006, at about 2:00 a.m. (local time), eight armed men wearing ski-masks burned down the radio station using gasoline in big bottled-water containers, which they poured over the equipment and the structure before setting it afire. The arsonists, some of them wearing combat boots, military-type fatigues and divers’ watches often used by the Philippine military, were also armed with M-16 ArmaLite assault rifles and .45 calibre handguns. They used ropes to hogtie the victims and articles of clothing to gag them. The radio station employees suspect the perpetrators to be members of the 17th Infantry Battalion (IB) of the 5th Infantry Division (ID) of the Philippine Army. The 17th IB is headquartered near the incident site, with the 5th ID stationed at Gamu, Isabela Province.
The building was totally razed to the ground, and all equipment therein destroyed. The backdraft created by the flames also severely injured station staff member Joy Marcos on his face and staff members Arlyn Arella and Armalyn Baddua, on their feet and legs. Another staff member, Richard Ayudad, was bruised on the neck where the assailants poked it with a handgun. The arsonists also took all of their mobile phones.
The number of incidents of attacks on free media in the Philippines has grown dramatically over the past few years, especially since Gloria Macapagal Arroyo became president in February 2001. Since then, 42 journalists have been murdered, which brings to 80 the number of journalists killed since the fall of dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. AMARC calls upon the president and the government to put an immediate end to the suppression of freedom of expression in that country. AMARC also calls upon the government of the Philippines to reimburse the losses suffered by Radyo Cagayano due to the attack and to bring to justice the arsonists.
