CALBAYOG CITY, Philippines — Sixteen years after the Ampatuan (Maguindanao) Massacre — the deadliest attack on journalists in world history — the Region 8 Media-Citizen Council (R8M-CC) joined other councils across the country in renewing the call to end impunity and ensure full justice for the victims.
The statement was issued on November 6 as part of a simultaneous nationwide commemoration organized by the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) and its network of Media Citizen Councils, marking both the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and the 16th anniversary of the Ampatuan Massacre.
The Council, composed of journalists, educators, civil society leaders, and community representatives, said the continuing delays in the Ampatuan case reflect how deeply impunity remains entrenched in the country’s justice system.
“Sixteen years should have been enough for the system to deliver the justice they deserve. Yet the families continue to mourn without closure,” the Council said in its statement.
A symbol of impunity
On November 23, 2009, 58 people — including 32 journalists — were brutally killed in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao, while covering a local political convoy. The massacre remains a grim reminder of how power and violence have long silenced truth-tellers in the Philippines.
Although a court ruling in 2019 convicted several members of the powerful Ampatuan clan, dozens of suspects remain at large, while others continue to appeal their convictions. The court-ordered compensation for victims’ families also remains largely unimplemented.
“Justice delayed is justice denied,” the Council said. “Every day that impunity prevails weakens the people’s faith in the rule of law and endangers those who dare to speak truth to power.”
The Council urged the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice, and law enforcement agencies to expedite the remaining cases, arrest the fugitives, and release the long-overdue compensation for the families.
DevComm students join commemoration and vigil
In Calbayog City, Development Communication (DevComm) students of Northwest Samar State University (NwSSU) joined the Region 8 Media-Citizen Council in the candle lighting and vigil held inside the university campus as part of the nationwide commemoration.
The students, together with members of the academic community, media practitioners, and advocates, offered prayers for the slain journalists and all victims of impunity. They also aired their demands and appeals to the government, calling for justice for the fallen and harassed members of the mainstream and campus press.
The NwSSU DevComm students likewise echoed the call of local advocates urging authorities to heed the people’s cry for the protection of the threatened Calbayog watershed, which faces risks from a planned wind power project.
“We remember not only those who were silenced but also those who continue to speak despite fear,” one student representative said during the vigil. “Justice for journalists is justice for the people.”
Local issues, shared struggles
The Council’s statement also turned the spotlight on issues closer to home, including the ongoing struggle of Calbayog City residents to protect their watershed from a planned wind power project.
According to the Council, the project’s location near a protected watershed could threaten the city’s main source of clean water, endanger forest ecosystems, and displace nearby communities.
“We support renewable energy, but true sustainability means respecting people and the environment,” the Council said. “Development should never come at the cost of clean water, food security, and community safety.”
The group called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and local officials to review the project and hold genuine consultations with residents before any construction proceeds.
Corruption and accountability
The Region 8 Media Citizen Council also expressed alarm over the persistent corruption in government, describing it as “a cancer that drains public resources and deepens inequality.”
“The Filipino people are fed up with the misuse of funds and the enrichment of public officials while ordinary citizens struggle to live decently,” the statement said.
The Council called on the national administration, Congress, and oversight agencies to pursue real accountability and ensure that transparency is not just a slogan but a lived practice in government.
A collective call for justice
The nationwide commemoration brought together Media Citizen Councils from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao — all standing united in remembering the journalists and civilians killed in Maguindanao and in reaffirming their commitment to press freedom, human rights, and good governance.
“Democracy thrives when citizens are informed and when every voice — journalist, farmer, worker, student, and community leader — is heard without fear,” the Region 8 Council said.
The statement concluded with a reminder that the fight against impunity goes beyond remembering — it is about ensuring that justice is served and that such atrocities never happen again.
“Let us not forget the lives lost in Maguindanao. Let us not allow another tragedy to unfold in Calbayog. And let us not stay silent as corruption eats away at the foundations of our democracy.”
Justice for the journalists. Justice for the people of Calbayog. Justice for the Filipino people. Justice for all.
