On the same day in November (27th), two journalists were killed-in different places. Stephen Omao-is, 24, a reporter for a local newspaper in Kalinga province in the northern Philippines, and Allan Dizon, 30, a photojournalist for a Cebu City newspaper in the southern Visayas region couldn't be physically farther from each other. Yet they met the same fate. Their killings brought to 16 the number of journalists murdered this year, the highest recorded since the early 1980s. In the month of November alone, four journalists have been killed.

Two weeks earlier, the media community was shocked by the killing of two journalists in two consecutive days. Gene Boyd Lumawag, a photojournalist, was shot in Sulu province in Mindanao, where he was on assignment. Sulu is a base of the extremist group, Abu Sayyaf. The day after, in another part of the country, Herson Hinolan, a hard-hitting radio commentator, was gunned down. Eyewitnesses have identified the assailant, a town mayor.

These deaths have sent chills through the journalists' community, especially those living in the provinces. While they are not subjected to government censorship, the gun has become an effective censor. Since democracy returned to the country in 1986, the government has ceased censoring the media. But apparently, the gun has replaced the censor's pen.

All of those killed were based outside Manila, far from the national spotlight. They work for local media organizations and some have been fearless in their reportage of crime and illegal activities.

It is unclear why Omao-is was killed. A cash reward has been offered to anyone who can identify the suspect. Dizon, for his part, was shot outside a mall. Reports say one possible motive for the killings was Dizon's reportage on illegal gambling in a small town. The killer has been identified-based on eyewitnesses' accounts-and charges have been filed against him.

Others are quick to claim that the series of killings is a press freedom issue. But the press is free, unfettered by state censorship. While the violence will deter reporters from pursuing hard-hitting stories, what all this shows is a state of lawlessness, especially in areas where powerful politicians and businessmen with vested interests rule. They use the gun to threaten and cow the press into submission-and they can get away with it. So far, there have been only four convictions out of the 31 cases that have been filed in court.

Not all of the journalists, however, were killed in line of duty. The Philippine National Police (PNP), in its investigation, has reported that six out of the 16 have been murdered for other reasons such as robbery. Journalists have protested the killings, which have become high-profile news. The PNP thus formed "Task Force Newsmen" to investigate the killings.

In its most recent report, the Task Force compiled the names of 60 journalists killed since 1984. Most of them worked for radio stations (34), followed by newspaper reporters (24). TV is a far third (2). Of the 60 cases, 31 have been filed in court while the rest are under investigation. Only four (out of the 31 cases) have resulted in convictions while most (23) are pending in the courts. The rest have been dismissed.

These figures do not speak well of the judicial system and point to the absence of law and order in the countryside. "The culture of impunity in the killing of media staff is a cruel fact of life for media in the Philippines," Aidan White, general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, said in a statement.

"At the local level, the justice system is weak," Luis Teodoro, a journalism professor, said in an interview with Agence France Press. "Prosecutors might be afraid or they may be acting on behalf of powerful people." Add to this the proliferation of loose or unlicensed firearms.

What is puzzling is the dramatic increase in the number of killings, more than double the previous year's figure. In 2003, there were seven reported murders. Col. Rodolfo Mendoza, head of the Task Force, told Asahi Shimbun that one explanation could be that the provincial press "has stepped up its intense attacks against various personalities to the point where they have been noticed." But he does not discount the possibility that these may have been done to destabilize government. The country faces two insurgencies-an Islamic separatist rebellion and a communist movement-plus an extremist group and a faction of the political opposition that flirts with armed groups, including rebel soldiers.

One of the journalists, Lumawag, was reported by the Task Force to have been killed by the Abu Sayyaf. The killers, who are also wanted for kidnapping, are now being hunted by the police.

The strongest signal that the government can show about its seriousness in protecting journalists and other citizens is to punish the perpetrators of these crimes after a speedy trial. Only then may we see a decline in lawlessness-and the journalists can pursue their work without fear.