Turning sorrow into a celebration of life
NPC commemorates 9th Year of Massacre
through bloodletting activity
The National Press Club of the Philippines (NPC) is to commemorate this Friday, November 23, the 9th year of the infamous Ampatuan Massacre where 58 people, 32 of them journalists, were among the victims, through a bloodletting activity.
“We choose to commemorate the Ampatuan Massacre this year through humanitarian activity as we support the efforts of the current administration, through the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS), in solving the case,” said Rolando Gonzalo, president of the country’s oldest and biggest national organization of active members of the press.
“Given the positive development, let us make this day of sorrow more meaningful by celebrating life thru this bloodletting activity,” he said, adding it is also their way of supporting the blood donation campaign of the Philippine Red Cross.
President Rodrigo Duterte signed Administrative Order No. 1, creating the PTFoMS in October 2016,to address and resolve all forms of violence against all media workers. It is currently headed by former NPC president, Joel Sy Egco.
Gonzalo noted that on the task force’s formation, Egco immediately formed a special “sub-group” whose sole task is to focus on, and regularly report to the body, the progress of the ongoing court trial.
“Thus far, we have no reason to complain on the government’s handling of the case and so, this year, the NPC resolved to give a new, more positive meaning to this incident, tragic as it may be,” Gonzalo said.
He added venue of the activity is at the NPC’s Bulwagang Plaridel in Intramuros, Manila.
For his part, NPC vice president Paul M. Gutierrez said Friday’s activity should not be interpreted as “diluting” the NPC’s firm resolve in demanding justice to the victims.
“The record of this struggle would show that the NPC has been at the forefront from the very beginning and up to now, to include our continuing support to the education of the child of Andres Teodoro, one of the journalists killed in the massacre.”
Gutierrez also thanked other organizations supporting Friday’s activity, which include, the National Capital Region Police Office of the Philippine National Police (NCRPO-PNP); Civil Relations Service, Armed Forces of the Philippines (CRS-AFP); Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP);
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE); Citizen Crime Watch (CCW); United Architect of the Philippines, Manila Chapter (UAP-Manila); and, the various press groups in Metro Manila.
Gutierrez added a Holy Mass offered to the memory of the victims shall be held in front of massacre memorial commissioned by the NPC at the NPC grounds before the start of the activity. ###