MANILA, Sept. 6, 2012— A Catholic bishop on Thursday deplored the killing of a radio broadcaster Eddie Apostol in Cotabato and called for measure to improve the safety of media practitioners.
Cotabato Auxiliary Bishop Jose Collin Bagaforo said it is essential that the authorities do all in their power to stem the “unreasonable and unjust” attacks that is claiming the lives of media workers.
“We always stand to the sacredness and the dignity of human life,” Bagaforo said over Catholic Church-run Radio Veritas.
Apostol’s decomposing remains was found in Liguasan Marsh near Sultan sa Barongis in Maguindanao last Sept.1, five days after his family reported him missing.
The 52-year old part-time radio block time talk show host with DxND in Kidapawan, Cotabato becomes the country’s sixth journalists to be killed this year.
Reports revealed that he had been shot twice in the head and his hands and feet bound with rope when he was found.
But the National Union for Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said it was not clear yet if the killing was related to Apostol’s media work.
Media watchdog groups Committee to Protect Journalists and International Federation of Journalists also denounced the incident and called for investigation into the killing of Apostol. [CBCPNews]
