The Angelite vehemently condemns the killing of broadcaster Percival Mabasa who is widely known as Percy Lapid.
The journalist who is a known critic of both the Duterte and Marcos Jr’s administration was gunned down by unknown assailants last Monday evening in Las Piñas city. This action threatens the rights of everyone to speak the truth, no matter how hard-hitting it may be for the status quo.
Before achieving 100 days in office, Marcos Jr. had already tallied 2 journalists killed under his administration. The first one was broadcaster Rey Blanco who is stabbed to death in Negros Oriental last September 18. Without justice, these murders reveal the unease of those who are more concerned with advancing their personal interests than the wellbeing of the nation as a whole since they appear to be an attempt to curtail the journalistic freedom that we journalists insisted to preserve.
We urge the current administration to take all necessary steps to ensure that all of these killings would be brought to justice and that there would be accountability for all of the lives lost. Not doing so would simply serve to demonstrate that the Marcos Jr. government is yet another danger to a free press, which must be protected at all costs since it amplifies the democratic will of the people.
