The Reporters Without Borders organization is seeking the help of international human rights groups for a "wider probe" into human rights abuses in the Philippines.

A delegation from the Paris-based press freedom watchdog arrived in the Philippines earlier this month on a fact-finding mission following the brutal murder of columnist Marlene Garcia Esperat. Esperat, 45, was killed last month in front of her children in her home in Tacurong on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. So far four people have been arrested in connection with the murder. Delegation member, Jean Francois Juilliard, said: "I know a lot of people talk about a culture of violence in the Philippines. But I would say it is a culture of impunity. Little is done to find the killers and when they do the system is such that they are rarely prosecuted."

Philippine police have now arrested four suspects in the killing last month of journalist Marlene Esperat: (from left) Randi Grecia, Jerry Cabayag, Estanislao Vismanos and Rowie

The International Federation of Journalists last year described the Philippines as the second to Iraq as the most deadly place in the world for journalists after 13 were murdered. He acknowledged that the killing of journalists is part of a much bigger human rights issue in the Philippines. "Lawyers, trade union officials, human rights activists and left-wing politicians are also being killed," he said.

Source: Reporters Without Borders