Columnist Fatally Shot in Philippines

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBFJKRPR6E.html

Columnist Fatally Shot in Philippines in What Media Group Says Is Wave of Journalist Killings

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - A columnist for a weekly newspaper was gunned down in the southern Philippines in what a media watchdog described Saturday as part of a continuing wave of killings of Filipino journalists.

The gunman, accompanied by a lookout, entered the home of Marlene Garcia Esperat late Thursday in the southern city of Tacurong, greeted her with "Good evening ma'am," then shot her dead in front of her children, police said. There have been no arrests. snip

Her husband, George Esperat, told a radio station that his wife had "many enemies because of her exposes," mostly on corruption and other issues of governance. "I told her earlier to stop, but she just shrugged it off, saying she's just doing her work."

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[ck4829]

1. This is horrible

What's also horrible is the silence from the 'liberal' media.

I remember the Fear Mongering during the Suicide Bombings and the Russian School Hostage Crisis, and how Fox News people were saying that this stuff WILL happen in America. Notice their silence on this.

[RaleighNCDUer]

2. Maybe its because if they report about government sanctioned

shooting of journalists, they themselves will be shot.

If it works in Colombia, and in the Phillipines, and in Iraq...

[reorg]

3. second most dangerous country in the world for journalists, next to Iraq

From The Inquirer (Manila)

>> (...)

"We are still establishing the motive of the killing but we are not discounting it could have been due to her work," Chief Inspector Raul Supiter, Tacurong police director, was quoted as saying by the MindaNews. "She has been writing hard-hitting commentaries."

On February 28, gunmen killed Arnulfo Villanueva, a columnist for the Asian Star Express based in Naic, Cavite, south of Manila. Last year, 13 journalists were murdered in the Philippines by gunmen.

None have been prosecuted and the Philippines now ranks as the second most dangerous country in the world for journalists, next to Iraq, according to the International Federation of Journalists.

(...)

Esperat survived an apparent murder attempt in 2003 when motorcycle-riding men threw a grenade at her home. Esperat was in Manila at that time,following up graft cases filed against some local officials in Central Mindanao. (...)

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http://news.inq7.net/top/index.php?index=1&story_id=31566

[peacetalksforall]

4. "Good evening, ma'am"?

I assume that is a translation - why would anyone use ma'am in a translation? It is so U.S. military.