Criminals have rights, too--De Lima

Monday, 21 December 2009 03:30 PM Merck Maguddayao

Commission on Human Rights chairperson Leila De Lima condemned the media mob that met suspected murderer Datu Andal Ampatuan, Jr. after the preliminary investigation on the Maguindanao Massacre case at the Department of Justice (DOJ) last Friday.

In an inquirer.net report, de Lima emphasized that “even suspected and convicted criminals” have their human rights, and that the media's reaction while covering the preliminary investigation “went overboard.”

“Expression of outrage can be done without physically harming the object of outrage. Without rule of law and restraint, we will all descend to a society where atrocities and vigilantism become a way of life,” de Lima said on the incident.

“Freedom of expression”

In reaction to de Lima, National Press Club president Benny Antiporda defended the journalists' emotions as being “human.”

“In other countries, we saw a journalist throw his shoes to a United States President and journalists who say expletives to a corrupt official.. and yet their lives are relatively safer there. Here in the Philippines, scores of journalists have been killed, and what do we expect from their fellow journalists? Just shut up and be at the middle of the issue?” Antiporda said in an interview at DZMM's Tambalang Failon at Sanchez.

“The photographer who hit Ampatuan with his camera must have done that for a deeper reason... why will he let his expensive equipment get damaged if there he has no basis for doing that,” Antiporda added.

Antiporda also stated that mediamen must uphold “freedom of expression” and must not be strictly subjected to restrictions, such as being always “at the middle of the coverage.”

Ampatuan, Jr. is the prime suspect in the Maguindanao massacre that occurred last November 23, killing 57 people, including 30 journalists. The Datu Unsay town mayor "will not answer the police and NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) allegations" in front of the DOJ investigating panel, according to defending lawyer Sigfried Fortun.

According to the Supreme Court, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court will hold its first hearing on the multiple murder charges facing Ampatuan, Jr. tomorrow at Camp Crame.

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