After last year's Ampatuan massacre wherein 57 people were killed, including 32 journalists, the Philippines fell near the bottom of international media group's press freedom index for 2010, a 34-rank drop from last year.

The Philippines ranked 156th among the 178 countries included in the Press Freedom Index 2010 of Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontieres/RSF), 34 notches down from its rank of 122nd last year.

"The Philippines, Ukraine, Greece and Kyrgyzstan all fell sharply in this year’s index. In the Philippines this was due to the massacre of around 30 journalists by a local baron," RSF said in its index.

This year, Ukraine ranked 131st (from 89th last year); Greece ranked 70th (from 35th last year), and Kyrgyzstan ranked 159th (from 125th last year).

Topping this year's index were Finland, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, New Zealand, Estonia, and Ireland.

Ampatuan massacre

The Maguindanao massacre, also known as the Ampatuan massacre, occurred on November 23, 2009 in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao province in Mindanao.

At the time, the massacre victims were on their way to file Esmael Mangudadatu's certificate of candidacy for Maguindanao governor. Mangudadatu, then Buluan vice mayor, won the gubernatorial post during the May 10 polls.

The 57 people who were brutally killed and buried in a mass grave in Ampatuan town included Mangudadatu's wife, his two sisters, journalists, lawyers, aides, and motorists who were witnesses or were mistakenly identified as part of the convoy.

'Impunity reigns'

The RSF noted that impunity (or exemption from punishment) continues to reign in the country even though "a few murderers of journalists" were brought to trial.

"The Philippines lost 34 places following the massacre of over thirty reporters by partisans of one of Mindanao Island’s governors. Despite a few murderers of journalists being brought to trial, impunity still reigns in the Philippines," the RSF said.

The Ampatuan trial is currently being held every week.

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