Henry Araneta

Henry Araneta worked as a reporter for the weekly newspaper Periodico Ini, based in General Santos City. He was among a group of journalists traveling in a convoy to cover the filing of a certificate of candidacy for a local politician.

On the morning of November 23, 2009, Araneta and at least 31 other journalists were stopped on a highway in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao province. They were abducted by a large armed group, taken to a nearby hill, and executed. The Committee to Protect Journalists verified his death as work-related.

The killings, known as the Maguindanao massacre, occurred amid intense political rivalry and clan conflict in the province. The journalists were accompanying the family and supporters of Esmael Mangudadatu, who was challenging the incumbent Ampatuan family for the provincial governor's seat.

The massacre drew immediate international condemnation. Philippine authorities filed multiple murder charges against members of the powerful Ampatuan political clan and their alleged militias. The trial that followed was one of the country's most protracted.

Henry Araneta's death is recorded among the single deadliest event for journalists in history. The case underscored the extreme dangers faced by local reporters covering politics and crime in the Philippines.

Henry Araneta was killed during Journalist Deaths - Philippines (concluded November -0001). See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.

Among those documented in the same conflict: Gina dela Cruz, Santos Sopelario, Ronnie Perante, Bienvenido Legarte Jr..

← Return to the full memorial | Add a memorial record