Press release
UNESCO Director-General condemns murder of journalist Virgilio Maganes in the Philippines
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18 November 2020
Last update:20 April 2023
The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has condemned the murder of journalist Virgilio Maganes, who was shot dead on 10 November by men on motorbikes outside his home in Villasis in the northern Philippine province of Pangasinan.
I condemn the killing of Virgilio Maganes in the Philippines. An attack against a journalist is an attack against the whole of society’s right to freedom of expression, enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This may not go unpunished and I call on the authorities to bring the perpetrators of this horrific act to justice.
Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General
Virgilio Maganes, who was, among other things, an editorial writer for the radio station DWPR, had survived a first assassination attempt in 2016 by faking his death.
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