My Tribute to Mei Magsino: The Big Mistake of Killing a Journalist

“Mei’s murder not only highlights the fact that leaving journalism is no guarantee of safety from the perils of the profession — especially not from those with long memories and deadly intent — it also underscores the depths to which the culture of impunity has become entrenched in our country and society, courtesy of a government that has shown only the most cursory regard for human rights.”

-excerpts from the official statement of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP, condemning the murder of Mei Magsino, April 14, 2015. (Note: I was the founding chairman of NUJP Batangas Chapter).

Active or not, killing a journalist like Mei Magsino, must be a big mistake for the presumably angry politicians in Batangas. It has brought the attention of the nation to the economically progressive, yet politically repressed communities.

Batangas City has been under the clutches of the Dimacuha dynasty for almost 30 years now, while the first class town of Bauan, for over 20 years now under the Dolor dynasty.

 Mei and  I and have been friends since around 1995. But we became closer since 2010 because we shared so many common advocacies, against the tyranny of political dynasties. While we seldom met in person, we communicated regularly through social media and private messages (chat, emails, or SMS/texts). It is even unfortunate that while we were both overjoyed to meet again in person last March 25, 2015 at the birthday celebration of ex-Governor Dodo Mandanas at Monte Maria in Pagkilatan, Batangas City, I never thought it would be the last. We sat together with Benjie (her boyfriend)  in the middle, in the entire duration of the mass, then again after lunch until we parted ways.

We were giggling, laughing and exchanging jokes, and among those we laughed at were the death threats on her. I even jokingly asked Benjie if he was not afraid to drive for Mei since his car is not bulletproof, to which Mei interjected that she is not worried since those who attempt to kill her, die! (I know she was referring as well to ex-Governor Armando Sanchez, who, as publicly known, reportedly made attempts on Mei’s life in 2005 that she had to go to Thailand to cool down).

Mei and I had a lot in common. We are both separated from our legal spouses, formerly worked as journalists, and both simply cannot close our eyes to the maladies of societies. We both suffered in the hands of our media colleagues – she for some sort of discrimination and indifference; and me for my past misfortune of being into a controversy which many local media person sensationalized beyond imagination, except for Manong Beting Mauhay, a radio commentator who was most fair to me.

In our last meeting, she turned to me and said, “did you also think I was crazy and call me Sisa like those local media ‘friends’ of ours?” I said, “do you think I would do that to you?”  She smiled and said, “No!”

Well you can call Mei crazy for being a “woman with balls” as she could really be very acerbic to her enemies. But if you know her like I do, she is such a wonderful, jolly and witty person. Her write-ups do not necessarily say much about the real person that she is.

Going back to our “status” as ex-journalists turned bloggers and citizen journalists, Mei and I simply could not content ourselves to watch how things unfold before our eyes. Utilizing the social media, we keep our readers and publics informed, sometimes entertained by our perspectives of current issues. We stand by our beliefs that by exposing the evils in society, our people will be motivated to act and demand for reforms, including kicking out from office overstaying dynasties who rule more for personal rather than societal gains.

And the thankless (and income-less) job earns the ire and wrath of our subject politicians. Death and other threats are inevitable. But when we speak of them, we look like fools to the eyes of many.  Mei was even blocked and banned from a facebook page of supposed allies (Reject RPT20 Movement) on suspicion that she was the real author of an account that warned the leaders of that movement that they are target of a liquidation operation courtesy of the relatives of the incumbent whom they are opposing.

So personally, I would seldom talk about death threats on me, and only very intimately. However I am surprised that news came out that a friend of Mei’s revealed what we already heard of – bounty on our heads by the powerful dynasty. (Should I be thankful this came out o they better behave otherwise, they are easy suspect? But are they stoppable?) - Ex-PDI reporter spokeof threat to her life 2 years ago, says friend

What distinguishes Mei and me is on the approach. I must admit that I am not sure which is more effective. She really makes hard-hitting, acerbic, almost foul language to make her point, and make fun of her subject, calling them directly as “magnanakaw, sira ulo, walang utak, pangit, etc.  But she has had more than a million views on one of her blogs, and I only have about 90 thousand.

But while I am more restrained, they say that my write-ups cut like a sword, and make my subject really mad. But depending on the issue, I must admit to have also used very strong words to drive my point.

But there is a deep mutual respect between me and Mei. We seem to agree on a lot of issues, trust each other’s judgment and treatment of them, and share information a lot of times.

You know, we journalists (ex or active) have no money or power. But we enjoy certain advantage of being part of the fourth state. Not so sure where bloggers like me and Mei fit in, but since we were ex-journo, we can claim to have some sort of link to that status. Touch us, someone gets back to you by exposing you to the larger society. Kill us, many will follow our footsteps, even take on our unfinished jobs.

They succeeded at killing my friend Mei, but trust me, her soul will haunt her killers and their benefactors. It will be a long shot, but there will be retribution. You will never stay there on top, soon you will suffer ignominy  for the wrong you have done.#