IN TEN DAYS, the world again commemorates the Maguindanao Massacre, the single worst case of media murders in the world and the worst case of election violence in the Philippines.
On November 23, 2009, armed men believed to be supporters of the powerful and influential Ampatuan clan murdered 58 people, including 32 journalists, on a remote hillside in Barangay Salman, Ampatuan town. Many of the victims were part of a convoy that was supposed to file the election papers of now Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu, a challenger to the Ampatuan’s hold over the province. The media men were there to cover the event.
Media groups such as the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists have scheduled a variety of activities since the start of the month in order to commemorate the massacre, and remind government of its commitment to find justice for the victims of all media murders.
On Thursday, November 14, the PCIJ will hold a film showing of its documentary Angkan, Inc., a comprehensive and powerful study of the clans of Maguindanao and how democracy in the province has been overpowered and manipulated by both the clan system and the system of national and local patronage.
The documentary, first aired on TV5′s Balwarte program before the 2013 elections, will be shown at the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communications’ Philippine Star room at 3:30 p.m. This will be followed by a discussion of the major issues raised in the documentary, particularly the continued influence of the political clans, not just in Maguindanao, but in other parts of the country.
There will be screenings of other PCIJ documentaries related to media murders in other schools such as the Centro Escolar University (November 18), UP Los Banos (Nov. 19), University of the East (Nov. 21), and Letran (Nov. 25). The public is invited to attend these free film showings and participate in the discussions.
