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The Brutal Persecution and Murder of 1000s of Journalists
“Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost,” -Thomas Jefferson, 1786
Shortly after leaving the radio station at 9pm, Filipino journalist Cornelio Pepino was shot multiple times in the head by two unidentified attackers on motorcycles. As he drove home with his wife, the two men pulled up next to their car and opened fire, killing him instantly. His wife barely survived.
Police have still not identified a motive, although they highly suspect it was retaliation for Cornelio’s investigations into illegal mining operations, bribery, and corruption. Attacks like these are not uncommon in the Philippines, as other journalists, such as Dindo Generoso and Edmund Sestoso, had been murdered in a similar fashion shortly after exposing illegal practices.
Sadly, stories like this are common in almost every country, as journalists are imprisoned, killed, harassed, and threatened for doing their jobs. And the…
