BAYAN Canada on the killing of Percy Lapid

BAYAN Canada on the killing of Percy Lapid

On October 3rd, Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa was shot dead near his home by riding-in-tandem in Las Piñas. A veteran broadcast journalist, he was a staunch critic of both the Duterte and Marcos Jr. administrations, highlighting the red-tagging and extra-judicial killings of critics and activists. Under the Duterte regime, he was one of many journalists who exposed human rights abuses and corruption, such as the ex-president’s bloody drug war. As a promoter of truth, he opposed the historical revisionism of the Martial Law era which covered up or downplayed atrocities committed by the Marcos Sr. regime.

BAYAN Canada condemns this brutal killing of yet another media worker. The impunity enjoyed by the Philippine state, including the Philippine National Police (PNP) and armed vigilantes, allows for continued attacks against freedom of the press and of speech. Percy Lapid is the second journalist killed under the Marcos II regime, following the stabbing death of Rey Blanco in Negros Oriental in September. The Philippines is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists (the 7th deadliest in the world in 2021 according to the Committee to Protect Journalists), where perpetrators are not brought to justice and local government officials are identified as the source of more than half of all attacks. Community-based critical and investigative journalists are targeted for reporting the conditions of the working and peasant masses, as well as exposing the effects of human rights abuses and corruption in their communities.

The culture of impunity surrounding attacks and extra-judicial killings (EJKs) has been fostered over decades by the US-backed regimes of the Philippines. Critics and activists from all sectors and industries face harassment, illegal arrests, red-tagging, and killings. Of the last 6 presidents before Marcos Jr., the highest number of journalist killings occurred under the Gloria Macapagal Arroyo administration with 103 killed. Red-tagging is often an impetus for these brazen attacks; Mabasa’s last radio show episode mere hours before his death discussed the red-tagging of a Manila RTC judge by former NTF-ELCAC spokesperson Lorraine Badoy.

Two days after Mabasa’s killing, Marcos Jr. announced in a presidential statement that his administration would “support and protect the rights of the media.” The president’s lack of acknowledgement of Mabasa’s death as well as an absence of concrete measures to protect press freedoms, crack down on red-tagging, and persecute those involved in EJKs reveal otherwise. In less than 100 days since his inauguration, 2 journalists have been murdered. Marcos Jr.’s regime has so far proven itself to be content with furthering disinformation through the historical revisionism of his father’s dictatorship under Martial Law, as well as perpetuating impunity on targeted attacks against critics.

According to the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines, 197 journalists have been murdered since 1986. The Canadian embassy has called on the Philippine government to ensure a “safe environment for journalists to carry out their work without fear” and justice for Percy Lapid. BAYAN Canada calls for justice for all journalists killed for exposing human rights abuses and amplifying the voices of the most marginalized sectors. Media workers have a right to safe and unimpeded reporting, and the ongoing threats to journalists is symptomatic of a wider repression of truth and and genuine democracy in the Philippines.

Justice for Percy Lapid! Defend press freedom! Stop the killings!

#DefendPressFreedom

#JusticeForPercyLapid

#StopTheKillingsPH

#EndImpunity