9 December 2009
Executive director of SEAPA honoured for his efforts to protect free expression
Roby Alampay, Executive Director of the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) was selected as one of the awardees of The Outstanding Young Men award in the Philippines.
He accepted the award on 8 December in Manila while he was on an international mission investigating the 23 November slaughter of 30 journalists in southern Philippines.
"I am home for sobering reasons. This (award) is just a happy coincidence," Alampay told the "Philippine Daily Inquirer". It is "a validation of the cause of fighting for journalists and press freedom."
Alampay dedicated the award to the journalists killed in the recent massacre and to all murdered Filipino journalists. At SEAPA, he oversees region-wide campaigns and programmes directed at defending and protecting press freedom, free expression and access to information in Southeast Asia.
The award recognises the achievements of men and women between the ages of 18 and 40, "for their selfless dedication or vocation that significantly contributed to the welfare of their countrymen and advancement in various fields."
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