SCREENGRAB from Michaella “Mika” Ortega’s Facebook page
The daughter of slain radio broadcaster and environmentalist Gerardo “Doc Gerry” Ortega slammed President-elect Rodrigo Duterte when he said that corrupt journalists are legitimate targets of assassination and that those who accept bribes deserved to die.
On her Facebook page Wednesday, Michaella “Mika” Ortega said that her family is “incensed” with the remarks of the tough-talking mayor, adding that such generalizations cast judgment on all killed journalists.
“This kind of speech is alarming because without due process, it casts absolute judgment on all murdered journalists including those who were killed for telling the truth,” Ortega said.
She said that her father was killed because he advanced his pro-environment stance and stood up against corruption in the Palawan provincial government.
READ: What Went Before: Gerry Ortega
“Our family is incensed by the hasty and crass generalizations made about murdered journalists in the country. Doc Gerry Ortega was killed for his courage and integrity. He was murdered precisely because he was honorable.”
“He fought for social justice. He stood up against mining in Palawan. He exposed corruption in the provincial government, which included the misuse of billions of pesos from the Malampaya funds,” she added.
Ortega was assassinated in 2011 due to his anti-mining advocacy. Two persons have been convicted so far in connection with his death—gunman Marlon Recamata in 2013 and Arturo “Nonoy” Regalado, a former staff of former Palawan Governor Joel Reyes, last March.
Michaella joined other journalists and press groups in condemning the sweeping statements made by the president-elect against journalists.
In his press conference on Tuesday night, Duterte said: “Just because you’re a journalist, you are not exempted from assassination, if you’re a son of a b****.”
READ: Duterte: Media corruption root cause of journalists’ killings
“Most of those killed, to be frank, have done something. You won’t be killed if you don’t do anything wrong… That can’t be just freedom of speech. The constitution can no longer help you if you disrespect a person,” he added.
He even cited the case of Jun Pala, a Duterte critic who was gunned down in 2003. Duterte said that Pala deserved it.
“The example here is Pala. I do not want to diminish his memory but he was a rotten son of a bitch. He deserved it,” Duterte said.
According to the International Federation of Journalists, the Philippines is the second most dangerous country for journalists, second only to Iraq. Since 1986, 174 journalists have been murdered in the country. RAM