DAVAO CITY—After assailing media as “prostitutes of oligarchs,” President-elect Rodrigo Duterte blamed the corruption of journalists for the killings of media men that has made the country one of the most dangerous places in the world for the profession.
Asked about his stand on media killings in the country, Duterte said many of the killings are due to the corruption of journalists.
If you will be killed, you will be killed. There is no way to know the next victim will be a journalist,” Duterte told journalists during his first press conference after being proclaimed president.
“Most of the time, you did something wrong,” Duterte said in Filipino. “You received money but you continued to criticize, that’s why you were kiled. There is corruption in the media.”
Duterte cited as an example the 2003 killing of radio broadcaster Juan Pala, whom he described as a “rotten son of a bitch.”
“Just because you are a journalist, you are not exempted from assassination if you are a son of a bitch,” Duterte said. “The Constitution can no longer help you when you humiliate a person.
“There are journalists who overdo their attacks. Do not expect all journalists are clean. Many of them are paid hacks,” he said.
Duterte made the remarks even as the spokesperson of his transition team quoted the president-elect as saying he will create a task force that will investigate the killings of journalists.
Duterte transition team spokesperson Peter Laviña said Tuesday Duterte sent him to the wake of police reporter Alex Balcoba, who was shot dead in Quiapo, Manila on on Saturday, to announce that he will create a task force and appoint a special prosecutor who will focus on the killings of journalists.
“He will create a task force to investigate all media killing… He also mentioned that he will appoint a special prosecutor dedicated to investigating media killings,” Laviña said.
“Under the incoming administration of President Duterte, press freedom will be respected, the freedom of journalists to do their work without obstruction or intimidation,” Laviña said.
Laviña announced the plan as the National Bureau of Investigation said it would conduct its own investigation into the killing of Balcoba.
Lawyer Daniel Lalucis, chief of the NBI Death Investigation Division, said they are now determining whether Balcoba’s killing was related to his work.
Lalucis added that they are also investigating the report that the suspect is a professional hired killer based on the manner by which the suspect shot the victim to death.