In response to news reports that a large number of people — possibly more than 20 — including many journalists, were killed on the Philippine island of Mindanao today while accompanying a gubernatorial candidate to register his candidacy, we issued this statement…
“The loss of so many lives to such violence is a true disaster and the fact that so many of those lost were journalists doing their job only amplifies the magnitude of the disaster. We join with the families of all the victims in calling on the government to bring the perpetrators to justice,” said Bob Dietz, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator. “Unrest in Mindanao has long made it a dangerous area to cover and these journalists have paid the highest price in reporting from there,” said Dietz.
The numbers of dead and wounded from the scene remain unclear, and CPJ will continue to follow the story closely as we confirm more information.