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Antonio Zumel Center for Press Freedom

Thursday
May 23rd
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Radio journalist gunned down in the Philippines

New York, April 22, 2013 – Authorities in the Philippines should thoroughly investigate today's murder of a radio journalist, identify the motive, and bring the perpetrators to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Mario Vendiola Baylosis was killed by two unidentified gunmen in the town of Kabasalan, according to news reports.

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Antonio Zumel
Remembering Tony Zumel

In this issue is an article about the celebration held in Manila marking the 80th birthday of the late Antonio Zumel, revolutionary leader with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and once a journalist with Manila daily newspapers.

News
Philippine military harass rights defenders, journalists

Military and police personnel allegedly harassed human rights defenders and journalists who were on a fact-finding mission and relief operation in the province of Davao Oriental from April 18 to 20, 2013. Ranking military officers in the province have denied the allegation.

 
Features
Portraying the pain that no mother should go through

The film "Burgos" comes at a critical stage of almost six years of searching for Jonas, the third of five children of Mrs. Edita Burgos and the late press freedom fighter Jose Burgos Jr. The family got hold of new pieces of evidence pointing to the culpability of the military in the abduction of agriculturist-activist on April 28, 2007.

Mediawatch
Wag the dog: How to cook-up Syrian drama
Some mainstream news channels have been recently caught carrying dubious footage from Syria. It fuels the debate over media's role in legitimizing possible military intervention in the country.
'Danny' is a Syrian opposition activist who reports from Homs for CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya. He is attached to the opposition movement and regularly calls for military invasion of Syria. He's identified as Danny Abdul Dayem, a 22-year-old British citizen of Syrian origin.
In a video leaked online, Danny appears to be falsifying a video broadcast for CNN. Prior to going on air, he requests colleagues to fire weapons to dramatize his Live report with Anderson Cooper. Though he denied any wrongdoings in an interview to CNN after the video went viral, his reliability as a verified news source was called into question.
Danny is far from being a lone soldier in an increasingly dirty information war. Investigative journalist Rafik Lotf has spent months looking at the background to footage that has helped shaped global opinion on the conflict. He told RT that Al Jazeera is involved in video fabrication to discredit the Syrian regime and cites a video described by Al Jazeera as proof Syrian Govt forces had bombed an oil pipeline.
"I know this video is on the Al Jazeera server. It is clear it is not an explosion but they ignore that and keep on reporting on the way they need to see it," he said.
It is even thought that the clip may have been staged by rebels who blew up the pipeline themselves, as alleged on Infowars.com.
Dark turns in Syria's blame game
All Journalists admit that verifying footage on the ground in Syria is difficult, nigh on impossible.
Most recently shocking footage emerged of some 47 bodies, including women and children found with their throats slit, bearing stab wounds and signs of rape. The opposition called for a UNSC emergency meeting on 'the massacre'.
Assad's government, in turn, announced that 'terrorist gangs' killed those in the video and claimed Homs' residents recognized relatives among the dead, who had been previously kidnapped by the Syrian rebels.
As the mutual blame game spirals downwards and civilian suffering continues, the recent resignations of key Al Jazeera journalists may serve as a clear indicator – that some mainstream Syria conflict coverage is far from objective.

Some mainstream news channels have been recently caught carrying dubious footage from Syria. It fuels the debate over media's role in legitimizing possible military intervention in the country.

 
Solidarity
Greek journalist acquitted for blowing tax fraud whistle

Earlier this month, Greek investigative journalist Kostas Vaxevanis was acquitted by an Athens court of charges that he breached data privacy laws with the publication of a list of tax cheats and money launderers.

Readings
The new propaganda is liberal. The new slavery is digital.

What is modern propaganda? For many, it is the lies of a totalitarian state. In the 1970s, I met Leni Riefenstahl and asked her about her epic films that glorified the Nazis. Using revolutionary camera and lighting techniques, she produced a documentary form that mesmerized Germans; her 'Triumph of the Will' cast Hitler's spell.

 
Nation
Dutch environmentalist killed in Pampanga

Outrage met reports that a Dutch environmental advocate based in the Philippines was killed early noon on July 3. Willem Geertman, executive director of Alay Bayan Inc. (ABI), was shot and killed by unknown men in front of his office in Sto. Domingo, Angeles City Pampanga.

Focus
My mother's journey

Now, how could I stomach that this government is footing the bill for millionaire, former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo? It is disgusting. It is the height of injustice. It is immoral. What about the thousands of poor sick Filipinos being turned away by our public hospitals?

 
Analysis
US agenda in Asia and the risks that Aquino is courting

The question is not which party to side with, but how the Philippines can best protect its territorial integrity. If there is a perception that China is bullying us, the solution is not to run for help to a bigger bully.

Opinion
Poachers

In our own backyard we have our own Hainanese fishermen in the form of the Filipinos who keep going back and forth to Sabah or North Borneo simply because many of their close relatives live there and have lived there even before these became Malaysian territory.

 
Statements
Edsa I symbolizes the people’s unfulfilled hopes

Feb. 25, 1986 marks a point in history where the Filipino people came together to bring down a much-feared and much-hated fascist dictatorship that was steering the country on the road to perdition. It represents a moment when the Filipino people decided to cast their lot with the call for change and installed a regime that promised the restoration of democracy and the improvement of the people’s condition.

Human Rights
Kin demand justice for Dutch missionary, other victims of killings

Asked about his message for President Benigno Aquino III, Antonius Geertman, brother of Willem, said, “As the representative of the Filipino people, he should listen to what his people want and that is justice. He owes it to his people.”

 
World
Media denied access to papers on trial of US soldier accused of information leaks

Reporters Without Borders condemns the shutdown of public access to important legal documents in the court-martial of Bradley Manning, the Army private who is accused of leaking government secrets.

Video
A radio worker's fight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVlii8S5yhg
 
 

Tony Zumel @ 80

an invitation

 

He Never Wrote 30

 He Never Wrote 30

  He never wrote 30 is documentary film that gives us a glimpse into the life of Antonio Zumel. Please click here to watch the two-part video.

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