Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz has hailed the crucial role of the media, especially during the election period, and lambasted the administration of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for allegedly “exterminating” those who uphold the truth.

At the same time, the church leader cautioned the industry’s practitioners against the risks of their profession following the murder of Hernani Pastolero, publisher-editor of the weekly Lightning Courier, who was shot dead Monday morning outside his house in Shariff Kabunsuan.

Cruz told The PUNCH, “From the time the present administration took office, no less than about 49 journalists had been exterminated, that is the word, exterminated”.

Members of the media, said Cruz, “exercise a dangerous task to the point of having themselves killed without any qualm of conscience, without those responsible for it being brought to the court of justice.”

“And all these journalists whose lives had been taken unceremoniously had one thing in common-they wrote, they talked, they showed the truth. And this administration hates the truth and would rather survive on falsehood,” he added.

Cruz said, Wherefore, it is but a matter of logic that only media practitioners who sing the tune of the administration and who dance its music are most welcome, most favored and most protected, otherwise be careful.”

He said that “in conjunction with the forthcoming 2007 elections, the opposition better have good security because they are unwelcome persons especially with reference to those aspiring for a seat in the Lower House of Congress because the administration will spare no cost, will adopt any means to maintain the majority of administration congressmen in order to again and again avoid the impeachment process”.—EVA

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