The culture of impunity: A political economy perspective

Abstract

(EXTRACT)

Introduction Over the past years, the murder of journalists and political activists in the Philippines has almost become routine given the huge number of victims. Parreno (2010) listed 305 incidents and 390 victims of extrajudicial killings from 2001 to 2010. He cautions, however, that the real number of extrajudicial killings in the country escapes exact determination. Of the reported total of 390 victims, 15 percent or 59, are journalists.

Thus if one focuses just on journalists as victims, the Philippines reportedly earned the reputation of being the second most dangerous country in the world, after Iraq, for media persons. In 2006, the international press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontieres, RSF) ranked the Philippines at the bottom 20 of the World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) or at the 142nd place, the same rank as the Democratic Republic of Congo. The dismal rating for the Philippines is largely due to the unresolved spate of murders and harassment of journalists.

Given the frequency, the alarming number of victims, and the apparent inability of government authorities not only to stop the murders, but also to resolve pending criminal cases, the notion of a “culture of impunity” was repeatedly raised.