The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today denounced the killing of radio journalist José Bernardo in Quezon City on 31 October.
“I condemn the killing of José Bernardo as an attack against freedom of expression and the rule of law,” said the Director-General. “I have full trust that the authorities will spare no effort in investigating this case and bringing the perpetrators to justice.”
José Bernardo was killed on Saturday 31 October in Quezon City, part of Metro Manila, capital of the Philippines. He was a reporter for local radio broadcasters DWBL and DWIZ and served as a public information officer of the Northern Police District Tri-Media Organization, a group of media workers who cover the Metro Manila police beat.
The Director-General of UNESCO issues statements on the killing of media workers in line with Resolution 29 adopted by UNESCO Member States at the Organization’s General Conference of 1997, entitled “Condemnation of Violence against Journalists.” These statements are posted on a dedicated webpage, UNESCO condemns the killing of journalists.
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Media contact: Sylvie Coudray, s.coudray(at)unesco.org, +33 (0)1 45 68 42 12
UNESCO is the United Nations agency with a mandate to defend freedom of expression and press freedom. Article 1 of its Constitution requires the Organization to “further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations.” To realize this the Organization is requested to “collaborate in the work of advancing the mutual knowledge and understanding of peoples, through all means of mass communication and to that end recommend such international agreements as may be necessary to promote the free flow of ideas by word and image…”