AKLAN PRESS CLUB, INC. MANIFESTO

AKLAN PRESS CLUB, INC.
2/F, Sampaton Bldg., Roxas Ave. Kalibo, 5600 Aklan
SEC Reg. No. CN200426953
Tel. No. (036) 268-6238

Joint Manifesto On The Maguindanao Massacre of the Aklan Press Club, Inc., Aklan Media Forum, Publishers Association of the Philippines-Aklan Chapter, KBP Aklan, Kalibo, Aklan

A manifesto condemning in strongest term the massacre at barangay salman, ampatuan town, maguindanao of not less than fifty seven (57) persons who are journalists; relatives; supporters and constituents of the Mangudadatu family; and lawyers allegedly by leaders of a political clan and their private armies regarded as most brutal, inhuman, heinous, barbaric, atrocious, unequal in the annals of political violence in the Philippines and urging all the pillars of the justice system to investigate and prOsecute the culprits without fear and favor, and promote equal justice for all

WHEREAS, as of the latest report, fifty seven (57) dead bodies were already recovered, to include two lawyers, at least 32 journalists, relatives and supporters of the Mangudadatu political clan in Maguindanao as a result of the daring, heinous, barbaric, and brutal massacre incident at Barangay Salman, Ampatuan, Maguindanao in the morning of November 23, allegedly by leaders and the private armies of the opposing political clan and reportedly, some one hundred (100) armed followers, on their way to the Maguindanao Provincial Office of the Commission on Election at Shariff Aguak while composing a convoy supposed to file the Certificate of Candidacy of one Datu Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu, Vice Mayor of Buluan, Maguindanao, for Governor of Maguindanao Province;

WHEREAS, the victims were reportedly abducted by the private army of a political clan somewhere near in Barangay Saniag at around nine o’clock in the morning and brought them at gunpoint to the vicinity of Barangay Salman and Malating which is about 10 kilometers from a national highway where the carnage was supposed to have taken place and some of the dead bodies were buried in a deep common grave at a hilltop in Barangay Masalay excavated by a backhoe allegedly owned by the provincial government of Maguindanao, virtually transforming the area into a killing field;

WHEREAS, the barbaric incident perpetrated by the ruthlessness of the perpetrators have no equal in its brutality and the number of lives lost in the annals of political violence in the Philippines that even the Plaza Miranda bombing in 1971 which killed nine (9) at a rally of the Liberal Party very much paled in comparison;

WHEREAS, some 32 practicing journalists have been killed in that incident, the worst single tragedy in the history of Philippine journalism that not even one incident in insurgency – rocked Iraq has there been many journalists killed in one incident, the Maguindanao massacre being deliberate only confirmed the status of the Philippines as among the most dangerous and deadliest countries for the working press;

WHEREAS, the Maguindanao carnage was a gruesome massacre and unequalled in the history of the country that even women, lawyers, and mediamen were not spared;

WHEREAS, the Maguindanao massacre was indeed heinous and gruesome where heads of the victims were bashed, body parts dismembered, and clearly many women were raped as their lower vests were already pulled down displaying their abused private parts;

WHEREAS, the massacre goes beyond the borders of press freedom and the liberty of expression and ruined the very foundation of democracy;

WHEREAS, the gruesome incident is a national embarrassment in a civilized world where human lives shall be protected at all cost;

WHEREAS, Maguindanao massacre was a blatant display of naked power and fearlessness and disregard to the rule of law and societal order;

WHEREAS, every civilized citizen of the country, including the government, must stand in solidarity and firmness to provide the necessary support to assuage the fears and agony of the victims’ families and their community and law enforcers of this country shall leave no stone unturned to bring the perpetrators of this gruesome and heinous crime before the bar of justice.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the above-named media organizations in Aklan in a meeting duly assembled and held at Kusina Sa Kalibo, Kalibo, Aklan on November 25, 2009; TO CONDEMN IN STRONGEST TERM THE MASSACRE AT BARANGAY SALMAN, AMPATUAN TOWN, MAGUINDANAO OF FIFTY SEVEN (57) PERSONS AS PER THE LATEST REPORT COMPOSED OF JOURNALISTS, RELATIVES, SUPPORTERS, AND CONSTITUENTS OF THE MANGUDADATU FAMILY, AND LAWYERS ALLEGEDLY BY LEADERS OF A POLITICAL CLAN AND THEIR PRIVATE ARMIES IN WHAT IS REGARDED AS THE MOST brutal, inhuman, heinous, barbaric, atrocious unequal in the annals of political violence in the Philippines and urging all the pillars of the justice system to investigate and prosecute the culprits without fear and favor and promote equal justice for all

Let copies of this manifesto be furnished to:
1. Her Excellency, President of the Philippines, Malacañang Palace, Manila
2. Secretary, Department of Justice, Manila
3. Director, National Bureau of Investigation, Manila
4. Director General, Philippine National Police, Camp Crame, Quezon City
5. Chief Justice, Supreme Court of the Philippines, Manila
6. All newspaper editors, Iloilo City Metro Manila
7. All Radio/TV stations, Iloilo City and Metro Manila