The Philippines ranked ninth in the Committee to Protect Journalists’ (CPJ) 2024 Impunity Index released on Wednesday (Philippine time).
Now marking its 17th year in the index, the country logged 18 unsolved murders of journalists against a 117.3-million population.
It also has the highest number of unsolved murders among the list’s top 10 apart from Mexico, ranked eighth, with 21 unsolved murders against a 128.5-million population.
“The Philippines, also on the index every year since 2008 and frequently in the No. 1 or No. 2 spot, has logged an unsolved murder of a journalist almost every year since 1992,” the CPJ reported.
“Full justice remains elusive for the 32 reporters and media workers killed in the Maguindanao massacre 15 years ago – one of the deadliest attacks on the press – as well as journalists like Gerry Ortega, a radio broadcaster killed in 2011,” it added.
The index was topped by Haiti (7 unsolved murders against an 11.7-million population with two years on the index), followed by Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territory (8 unsolved murders against a 14.9-million population with one year on the index).
According to the CPJ’s methodology, murder accounts for the targeted killing of a journalist, whether premeditated or spontaneous, in direct reprisal for their work.
The independent nonprofit monitors the law enforcement and judicial process for each confirmed murder case before categorizing the status of the investigation as complete impunity (no convictions have been obtained), partial justice (some but not all of those responsible have been convicted), and full justice (everyone responsible is convicted, including perpetrators and those who commissioned them).
