MANILA, Jan. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- The Philippines has been listed with Iraq as the most dangerous countries for the media by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

    The Brussels-based IFJ said in a report released Tuesday that arecorded 129 journalists were killed in 2004 in comparison with 93 killed in 2003, showing that journalists were increasingly being considered as legitimate targets as they reported on war zones and investigated corruption.

    Iraq, where 19 reporters and other media workers were killed last year, was ranked first in the list of the most dangerous countries to media, followed by the Philippines, where 13 journalists were murdered, according to the report.

    "This report reveals how journalists and media employees in every corner of the globe have been targeted, brutalized and done to death by the enemies of press freedom," said the report.

    "Some have been sought out by crooks and hired assassins, others have been gunned down as a result of nervous, unruly and ill-disciplined soldiering," the report added.

    It noted that the issue of journalist safety in the Philippineshad reached a crisis point.

    "Time and time again, journalists who were vigorous and independent in their reporting are singled out and murdered with apparent impunity," the report said.

    The IFJ said that it would send a delegation of Australian, Indonesian and possibly Danish journalists to the Philippines nextmonth to highlight the issue and demand government action.

    Following Iraq and the Philippines, India recorded the most journalist deaths with seven. Enditem