Forbidden Dream

In Bliss
By Jo Cruz

Following one’s dreams is possibly the greatest achievement anyone could attain in one’s life. Being able to become what you have always wanted is a rare opportunity that not everyone can experience. Being a journalist, for example, is a dream not everyone can take hold of. It takes creativity, determination, and passion for one’s work in order to survive in the field. But sadly in our time today, journalists really do have to literally survive in order to make their message known.

Murder is the top cause of journalist death in 2005 according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The Philippines has also been tagged in the same year to be the second deadliest country for journalists due to the increasing number of political related deaths of these writers, radio broadcasters, columnists, etc. Through all these chaos and commotion, the government seems to be oblivious to everything that has been happening. The government is steering blindly regarding these issues and does not take in consideration that there are hundreds and hundreds of innocent people getting assassinated due to the line of their work. According to CPJ Executive Director Ann Copper, there are “too many journalists that have lost their lives just because they were doing their jobs, and unresponsive governments bear responsibility for the toll."

Unresponsive is the best word to describe our somewhat idle government regarding this ongoing issue. The government cleans its hands of these killings and says they are not part of it and yet they are not taking these charges and issues seriously. Most of the political killings are still pending and justice has not yet been served to the journalists who stake their lives and their family’s lives for the propagation of truth and fact. If the government is in fact not in cahoots with these “unknown” gunmen, why aren’t they taking steps to put these perpetrators to where they truly belong? Why aren’t they investigating the suspicious deaths of these journalists who put their heart and soul for their line of work? According to Eduardo Dinsuy, the Director at the Quasi-Independent Commission on Human Rights, “There’s a pattern of arbitrary detention and arbitrary killings and most of them are committed by those in uniform.”

Unfortunately, our government is ruled by corruption and governed by selfishness and deceit. Being in position does not give politicians the right and power to act “god.” They are not deserving of the power that was given and entrusted to them by their fellow Filipinos which they maim and murder, like our journalists.

It’s very inspiring for journalists who continue their work full of passion and vigor, even with the knowledge that they are at full risk if they continue to do what they do. They continue to uphold and rationalize truth from lies that our government feeds us. To these journalists and to the others who have offered their lives for journalism, kudos.