The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) has expressed absolute dismay and condemnation of the horrific massacre of 12 journalists, in an attack on a convoy in the southern Philippines which killed at least 46 people.

The journalists were travelling with a group of politicians and political supporters planning to file nomination papers for Esmael Mangudadatu, an opposition gubernatorial candidate in Maguindanao province, when the attack occurred on 23 November.

According to local reports, around 100 armed men, allegedly supporters of the current governor, ambushed the group and took the victims to a remote location where some of them were killed and buried in a mass grave. More members of the group are missing, and are also believed to have been murdered. There is evidence that the journalists were specifically selected for murder.

In a statement, WAN-IFRA, the global association of the world's press, called on the Philippine government to urgently investigate this monstrous attack and bring its perpetrators to justice. The association said an "unprecedented" government response was necessary, in a country with a long history of violence against journalists and civilians.

WAN-IFRA condemned a "climate of impunity" in the Philippines, which is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. Nineteen journalists have been murdered since the beginning of the year, including the 12 killed in the recent massacre. According to reports, at least 24 journalist murders have gone unsolved in the Philippines over the last decade, and more than 100 journalists were killed since 1986.

WAN-IFRA, based in Paris, France, and Darmstadt, Germany, with subsidiaries in Singapore, India, Spain, France and Sweden, is the global organisation of the world's newspapers and news publishers. It represents more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries. The organisation was created by the merger of the World Association of Newspapers and IFRA, the research and service organisation for the news publishing industry.

Inquiries to: Larry Kilman, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, WAN-IFRA, 7 rue Geoffroy St Hilaire, 75005 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00. Fax: +33 1 47 42 49 48. Mobile: +33 6 10 28 97 36. E-mail: larry.kilman@wan-ifra.org.