THIS is the continuation of my previous column regarding the murder of Filipino journalists last year of which only three turned out to be work-related following investigation conducted by the PNP Task Force Usig.

Take it from PNP chief, General Nick Bartolome, a former PNP spokesman who has time and time again maintained his commitment to uphold the rule of law and the protection of human rights and thus, has directed his men to exert their best effort to resolve as soon as possible cases of attacks against journalists-genuine or pseudo-journalists-and left-wing activists in the country.

This early, I have been told that the murder the other week of Christopher Guarin, a former GMA radio station manager in General Santos City-turned newspaperman could be the result of a ‘personal grudge’ with his killers. In fact, investigators told me that they are looking into the possibility that it could be connected to the death of Alfredo Velarde Jr., a distributor of the Gensan-based tabloid Brigada News Print who ironically was described as a reporter when he was shot dead on November 1 last year.

I just hope that my sources got the wrong suspicion that both cases are linked to the ‘Last 2,’ an illegal numbers’ game in Mindanao.

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Guarin became the first member of the Philippine media to be killed at the start of this year. Last year, the PNP Task Force Usig headed by Chief Supt. Samuel Diciano said they recorded three cases of work-related media, all of which have been thoroughly investigated resulting  in the arrest of two suspects and the surrender of three others.  

Most infamous of the three cases was the assassination of Gerardo Ortega, a hard-hitting commentator of RMN-Palawan who was shot dead on January 24, 2011 in Barangay San Pedro, Puerto Princesa City. Ortega’s killing was traced to his stinging commentaries in his radio program on various domestic issues in Palawan including the issues of illegal mining and the equitable share for Palawan in the Malampaya Gas Project, Diciano said.

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Diciano said the two other cases are that of Romeo Olea and Jhonson Pascual.

Olea, a reporter/anchorman of DWEB-FM was killed on June 13, 2011 in Iriga City, Camarines Sur by two unidentified motorcycle-riding assassins who managed to escape.Diciano said the killing of Olea which is believed to have been triggered by his hard-hitting commentaries against local politics is still undergoing investigation.

On the other hand, the murder in Alicia, Isabela on October 8, 2011  of Pascual, a manager of First Isabela Cooperative Bank, Editor-in-Chief/Columnist of the defunct Prime News local newspaper and a Contributor to the Northeastern Journal in Isabela has been traced to his possible exposes’ in his column against  some local government units. Diciano said the case is still under investigation.

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From July 2010 to date, Diciano said they have also investigated five attacks on militant activists. He said that three cases have been filed in appropriate courts while the two others are still being investigated.

Since 2001 to date, the PNP Task Force Usig which was created in 2006 has handled the investigation of 41 deceased media practitioners. Of the 41 cases of media killings, 33 or 80 percent of the total cases  were filed before the Prosecutor’s Office or with appropriate courts while 8 or 20 percent are still under investigation.

On the other hand, 11 cases did not fall under the Task Force Usig mandate since the killings were not considered as an attack on press freedom as the reported victims were found out to be after a thorough verification to be either a retired media practitioner or not media practitioner at the time of their death.

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Diciano said the following cases were not considered as an attack on press freedom:  the case of Antonio Silagon, publisher of Bohol Balita Daily News and Manager of Loay Community Multi-Purpose Cooperative who was killed on December 15, 2011 in Tagbilaran City, Bohol in what investigators said could be the aftermath of a land dispute or a love triangle; the killing of Roy Gallego, a tribal leader-turned block-time anchorman at WOW FM-Bislig City and DXDA-San Francisco, Agusan del Sur last October 14 in Lianga, Surigao de Sur in what appeared to be a case triggered by a land dispute; and the case of Neil Jimena, a reporter and account executive of Dyaryo Ilonggo and member of the Iloilo Press Club who was killed last August 22 in EB Magalona, Negros Occidental due to his former work as a PDEA informant. Diciano said a criminal complaint for murder has been filed against Jimena’s attackers identified as Joel Calunsod alias “Toto, a certain ‘Noel” and several John Does before the Negros Occidental Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

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Diciano also cited the case of Edwin Ramos, a DZBB program coordinator who was stabbed to death while pacifying a drunken man in Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan City last April 23; the case of Marlina Sumera, an anchorwoman of DZME’s Arangkada 1530 who was killed on March 24, 2011 in Maysilo, Malabon City due to land dispute; and the case of Romeo Benjumia, a news writer in charge of the distribution of Gold Star News tabloid in Cotabato who, along with the driver of a passenger van he was riding, was shot dead by robbers in Pikit- Cotabato last January 27.

Diciano also mentioned the cases of Saturnino Apoyon, a former chief of the Philippine News Agency who was believed to have drowned in Tibanban Sea in Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental last May 25 and the case closed after his family called for his immediate cremation; and Cirilo Gallardo, a part-time Disc Jockey at DzPA-DWWM Spirit FM and a teacher at the Divine Word College in Bangued, Abra who was killed on January 31 last year. Two suspects have been arrested in connection with Gallardo’s killing while three others are still being hunted.