Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Davao City (Agenzia Fides) - His final broadcasts were devoted to the defense of the "culture of life", a topic that fascinates Philippine politics and society: Nestor Libaton, a 40-year-old Catholic journalist engaged in "DXHM Radio" Catholic station in the town of Mati, near Davao, on the island of Mindanao, was killed on May 8 by three armed gunmen. Libaton is the third journalist killed in the Philippines in the past 15 days; the number rises to 55 media workers killed in the last 10 years, 151 since 1986 to present. The umpteenth murder which witnesses the climate of intimidation and violence on the island of Mindanao, making victims among human rights activists, journalists, missionaries: yesterday Fides gave the news of an indigenous leader and activist killed in the province of Bukidnon, always in Mindanao, where last year the PIME missionary, Father Fausto Tentorio was killed (see Fides 09/05/2012).
The Catholic Church is upset and Archbishop Jose Palma, President of the Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, speaking on Radio Veritas, condemned the incident and urged the authorities to solve the case as soon as possible. Fr. Francis Lucas, Executive Secretary of the "Commission for Social Communications" of the Conference of Catholic Bishops, explains to Fides: "We are shocked and saddened by the murder of Libaton. They killed an honest person, an innocent man, married and father of 4 children. We condemn the violence and demand justice. 'Radio DXHM' Mati, also called 'Radio of Truth', is part of the radio circuit sponsored by the Church. It is a broadcasting service to the people, very attentive to the culture of life and development issues in Mindanao. In recent weeks even Libaton had talked a lot about these values. Recently, another Catholic radio station in the north of Manila was destroyed by vandals. These gestures intend to intimidate and silence the voices that defend values like truth, justice, human rights. But the Church in the Philippines will continue to proclaim the Gospel and will not be silenced." (PA) (Agenzia Fides 10/5/2012)
