The new president of the Philippines says many slain journalists were corrupt and deserved to die
“Just because you’re a journalist you are not exempted from assassination if you’re a son of a bitch,” Philippine President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s said during a press conference, justifying the killing of journalists. He claimed that many killed journalists were either corrupt or had “done something” that warranted their murders, according to press accounts. He also warned that journalists who defamed others in their news reporting would not necessarily be protected under the law from violent reprisals.
Duterte made the remarks in response to a reporter’s question on Tuesday about how his government would handle cases of media murders, according to news reports.