RJ Nichole Ledesma was among the 19 people killed in Sunday’s bloody incident in Toboso, Negros Occidental.
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – RJ Nichole Ledesma, a poet, human rights activist, and journalist, met a tragic death during clashes between communist rebels and government forces.
Ledesma, a 30-year-old journalist, the slaughter coordinator of the Alternative People’s Media Network (Altermidya) in the Province of Negros Island, was among the 19 people killed in a bloody incident that occurred in the remote area of Sitio Sinugmawan, Barangay Salamanca, Toboso town, Sunday, April 19.
When Ledesma was named as one of those killed, many – even members of the heritage media in Bacolod – did not believe it was the same person, until Felipe Gelle of the Human Rights Defenders Negros (HRAN) spoke about Ledesma’s death.
Gelle, in an interview with Rappler, described Ledesma as dedicated to writing community stories, especially about the suffering of the poor.
He was very careful in embracing community journalism, Gelle said.
In the six years that they were together in community development and mission work, Gelle said Ledesma was very careful in completing his assigned stories.
Gelle said Ledesma may be best remembered for his campaign against oil palm plantations in Candoni town in southern Negros Occidental.
Beyond environmental advocacy, Ledesma, a psychologist from the University of St. La Salle (USLS)-Bacolod, was also known for researching, documenting, and writing unique stories of vulnerable sectors within Black communities.
Former editor-in-chief of SpectrumUSLS-Bacolod student publication (2017-2018), Ledesma was a regular participant in local press conferences.
His fellow reporters noticed that he was quiet or rarely asked questions.
“He was gentle and soft-spoken, with a careful, uncritical, and inquisitive mind, who always had a heart for the least among us and who stood by his principles,” Jeneatte Patindol, Spectrum administrator, said about Ledesma in his Facebook post.
“His immediate memories are of establishing staff peer counseling on university journalism topics during free activity sessions or on Saturdays, insisting that staff take turns giving talks, because as he pointed out we learn better when we have to teach,” Patindol added.
Patindol’s fondest memory of Ledesma was when a USLS-Bacolod faculty member allegedly insulted a Muslim student. The faculty member lied to their face, distorting the truth, but Ledesma showed him the truth, complete with receipts and records.
The story became Spectrum cover story and won Ledesma the Graciano Lopez Hall of Fame Award in the Philippine News Agency’s annual Academy of Journalists competition in Western Visayas.
“RJ was a humble young man with strong gifts and a big heart. He had the power to influence many with his beauty,” Patindol said.
Fellow Negrense writer Ian Rosales Casocot said in a Facebook post that Ledesma was very focused on raising voices from marginalized sectors.
Ledesma was a poetry participant at the Silliman University National Writers’ Workshop, and at the 9th Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio Writers’ Workshop.
After university in 2020, he directed Paghimutad-Negros, an alternative media outlet focused on human rights reporting and grassroots stories.
The Altermidya network mourned the death of Ledesma.
“We give the greatest respect to our colleague RJ, who until his last breath served marginalized communities by immersing and reporting their stories. Together with his family and colleagues, we demand justice for RJ Ledesma,” Altermidya said.
But for La Sallians, social media influencers, and even some local journalists who knew Ledesma, his death is a reminder that journalism in the Philippines is still a dangerous calling. – Rappler.com
