22/10/2025
๐จ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ง ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐ก๐๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐ข-๐๐ข๐จ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ง๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐จ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ง๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฆ (๐๐จ๐๐๐) ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ก ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ก๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ก ๐๐จ๐๐ก๐ข๐๐๐ง๐๐ก, ๐๐๐๐๐ฌ
As students of Bicol University and future members of the print and broadcast media, we are deeply saddened and disturbed by the ongoing threats of media practitioners in the line of duty. We strongly condemn the recent shooting of Noel Bellen Samar, a local broadcaster from Guinobatan, Albay. We express our deepest condolences and stand in solidarity with the family, colleagues, and the entire media community in mourning this loss.
According to the Philippine National Police, Samar was shot on Oct. 20 at around 9:00 a.m. in Purok 3, Morera, Guinobatan, Albay and sustained four gunshot wounds before his passing the following afternoon, Oct. 21.
The heinous act, committed in broad daylight, is not merely another crime but a direct assault to press freedom. ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ ๐๐ผ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐น๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐.
Such threats and tragic incidents have continuously plagued the Philippines media for so long. ๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ to the reality of the dangerous media landscape in the Philippinesโit must serve as a call to action. These acts should never be tolerated and normalized in order for such reality to change. The continued attacks against members of the media must end. Accountability must prevail.
We call on the authorities to conduct a swift, impartial, and thorough investigation to bring justice to him and his loved ones, as well as to all other cases of attacks against the press that have happened and are happening, so that it never happens again. ๐ก๐ผ ๐ท๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐ต.
Targeting journalists will not silence critical voices but will only embolden more to speak out. This brutal killing serves as a call to strengthen protections for journalists and to uphold the freedom of the press. ๐๐ป ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐.
We, the ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น ๐ข๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ผ-๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐๐ (๐๐ข๐ก๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ) and the ๐๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐น ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ข๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐, demand:
๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฝ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐. ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฝ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ธ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐. ๐๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ก๐ผ๐ฒ๐น ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ.
