21/11/2025
Commemoration on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and 16th Year of the Ampatuan Massacre by the Cotabato City Media-Citizen Council
COTABATO CITY MEDIA CITIZEN COUNCIL Statement for Commemorations on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and Maguindanao Massacre:
The struggles faced by provincial journalists in the Bangsamoro Region remain complex, despite ongoing efforts to address them. The most pressing issue, as many of our colleagues point out, continues to be the socioeconomic challenge, a true test of our collective wisdom and courage to transform what has long been a “compromised” media landscape.
Media corruption remains our oldest battle cry, especially in an environment where opportunities for unethical practices are always within reach.
How can a journalist, whose very duty is to expose corruption, like the infamous flood control scandal, speak with conviction when they themselves have lost the moral ascendancy to do so?
Still, we remain hopeful that our fellow journalists will rediscover the true essence of the Fourth Estate: our shared calling to seek truth, give voice to the voiceless, and hold power to account. Especially here in the Bangsamoro Region, where journalism plays a vital role in shaping narratives of peace and progress.
BARMM remains a region in transition, still healing, still redefining itself after decades of struggle. The stories unfolding here are not just about governance or development; they are about redemption, resilience, and the long journey toward unity.
In the council, we dream of a gunless and violence-free society, where our stories no longer revolve around killings, shootings, ambushes, or attacks. Many of these were brutal, like the Maguindanao Massacre, which happened right here sixteen years ago.
We also remember those whose lives were spared that day, the ones who failed to attend the event that led others to their deaths. They remain our living witnesses, proof that many among us have faced moments that nearly cost them their lives.
Because until now, just like during the Maguindanao Massacre, the political climate here can still kill. It can kill people. It can kill journalists. Every election season reminds us of the lingering power of guns and goons.
And yet, we continue to report, carefully, cautiously, as if walking on eggshells, to protect ourselves from danger, especially when covering stories about politics.
Election-related violence remains one of the greatest challenges we face.
The Maguindanao Massacre stands as the deadliest reminder of this, a wound that defines one of the darkest chapters in Philippine journalism.
But despite it all, we stand firm, together with our media council, and with every journalist who chooses truth over fear. We stand for those who were silenced, and for those who continue to speak.
As members of the press and as people of Maguindanao, we renew our commitment to ethical and fearless journalism. We stand united against threats, intimidation, and disinformation. We call on authorities to guarantee the safety of journalists, strengthen mechanisms for accountability, and ensure that the wheels of justice never again grind to a halt.
