11 years after Gerry Ortega murder, report urges expert panels to handle media killingsMANILA, Philippines — In the Philippines, which has been tagged as a dangerous country for journalists, the Department of Justice should form a panel of investigating prosecutors for killings of media members and prosecution of "powerful" individuals. This was among the recommendations of A Safer World for Truth in a report on the murder of Palawan journalist Gerry Ortega in 2011. "These numbers highlight the fact that the murder of Gerry Ortega is part of a structural problem concerning the safety of journalists in the Philippines," the report said. "In the aftermath of the murder of journalists, the Philippine justice system often fails to provide complete justice. In the case of Ortega, hitman Dennis Aranas was found dead in his prison cell, which the report flagged as suspicious.

Source: Philippine Star February 28, 2022 23:12 UTC