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November 24, 2025 – Philippines –
Sixteen years after the massacre that claimed 58 lives — including 32 journalists and media workers — families of the victims continue to decry what they describe as broken promises and incomplete justice.
On November 23, 2025, relatives of slain journalists gathered in Buluan, Maguindanao del Sur, to mark the tragic anniversary. Among them was Jergin Dela Cruz‑Malabanan, the eldest daughter of journalist Gina Dela Cruz, who was among those murdered. Dela Cruz-Malabanan said that despite decades of legal proceedings, accountability remains elusive.
The core of the families’ grievance lies in what they see as systemic delays and evasive justice. Although a special court convicted several perpetrators in 2019, many suspects remain at large or have yet to serve sentences for all counts. Victims’ kin emphasised that too few convictions fail to reflect the full scale of the atrocity.
Compensation and reparations have also fallen short of expectations. Families complain that governmental promises of financial assistance and support for dependents of slain journalists have either been delayed or scaled down. They warn that without meaningful reparations — financial, symbolic, and judicial — the massacre’s legacy remains unresolved.
Media organisations and rights advocates joined the calls for renewed commitment to truth and justice, urging authorities to expedite pending cases, locate and try fugitives, and fulfil reparations. They stressed that ending impunity is essential not only for the victims’ families, but also for press freedom and public trust in accountability mechanisms.
As the anniversary passed, the voices of victims’ kin delivered a blunt message: sixteen years is long enough for delay. The demands were simple but powerful — for justice in full, not partial victories; for recognition of lost lives; and for assurances that journalists and their families will no longer be left waiting.
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