Bylines, Bye Lives

From the start, I’ve known that being a journalist in the Philippines is not easy– you work with a pen or microphone in your hand, and a target on your back. On Monday morning, July 21, a local radio broadcaster, Erwin Segovia, mainly known on-air as “Boy Pana,” was killed in Barangay Mangagoy, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur. According to initial police reports, the incident happened past 7 in the morning, when two unidentified gunmen shot Segovia, who was riding his motorcycle near the water district of the locality. As of this writing, it is unclear what the motive behind his killing is. But every murder must be confronted with arrest, trial, and justice. Segovia adds to the over 100 killings of journalists in the Philippines since the restoration of democracy in 1986. Yet, in many of these cases justice remains fleeting and impunity thrives. Speaking of impunity, the Philippines currently ranks 9th in the Committee to Protect Journalists’ 2024 Global Impunity Index Rankings. While this might seem as an improvement compared to its former 8th ranking, Segovia’s murder reminds us that one less rank means nothing when our journalists are still being killed for simply doing their jobs. As a student journalist, I knew that this job came with risks. However, this does not mean I will readily accept the violence towards fellow journalists in the field. From the over 30 media workers killed in the Ampatuan massacre, to the killing of Percy Lapid, and now the killing of Erwin Segovia, each of their deaths sends a message towards not just journalists, but the nation itself: speak out and you’ll be next. Why do we continue to let these deaths happen? When justice for these killings is delayed, or worse, denied, it shows the country that press freedom is only valued when it does not disturb the elite. How many more journalists must we lose for us to finally open our eyes to violence? The solution is not simple, but it starts with systemic change. Governments must go beyond just posting statements of condemnation and take legal, concrete action towards the perpetrators of these killings. Furthermore, the safety of journalists must be prioritized, and local media outlets must be supported through funding, legal protection, and solidarity. Of course, the change also starts with the people. We must treat the killings of journalists as a national crisis, not just another news story to move on from. For every journalist killed, the truth they carry dies with them. If the truth dies, the people lose the democracy they long fought for.