The Philippine President, Gloria Arroyo, has promised to end a series of killings of local journalists, asking prosecutors and police to solve such crimes speedily and bring the guilty to justice.
Fifty-two journalists have been killed since 2001 when Mrs Arroyo was swept to power after an army-backed revolt.
Hundreds of leftists and opponents of the Government have also been killed in what rights groups say is a systematic pattern of intimidation.
Mrs Arroyo told about a dozen senior journalists from seven press associations that the Government aims to break this cycle of violence once and for all.
Although the discussion centred on killings of journalists, President Arroyo said the effort would extend to leftists and government opponents as well.
