A Catholic journalist and
human rights activist, Gerry Ortega was shot to death Jan. 24 in Puerto
Princesa on the island of Palawan.
Gerry Ortega, is the 142nd journalist to be murdered in the Philippines in the last 25 years.
Recently the Filipino
bishops launched an alarm for the growth of crime and violence,
particularly against journalists, religious activists, trade unionists
and lawyers who defend the rights of the poor and marginalized.
47 year-old Gerry Ortega was engaged in a campaign to defend the indigenous communities of Palawan.
Often
he invited missionaries, members of Christian communities and
non-governmental organizations and environmental groups onto his radio
programme who had launched a petition to save one of the most beautiful
islands of the Philippines.
Palawan is in danger of being devastated by a major mining project authorized by the central and provincial governments.
Palawan is populated by indigenous tribes such as the
Tagbanua, Palawanon, Tau't Bato, Batak and Molbog, who live in small
villages or the mountainous area along the coast and make their living
from fishing and agriculture.
Two multinational companies, Celestial and MacroAsia have already begun to build roads and open pits.
MacroAsia has an agreement with the government in Manila
grating mining rights on lands that have always been owned by indigenous
communities, some of which have rarely had contact with the outside
world, and whose survival may be endangered by the plans for extraction.
The campaign for the defence of Palawan has resulted in a request to the Manila government to repeal the 1995 "Mining Act" which paved the way across the country to the exploitation of lands belonging to indigenous tribes.
Gerry
Ortega, also involved in the life of the Church, was well known for his
battles via radio in defence of human rights in the Philippines.
SIC: AN/INT'L