HERS was one of the more celebrated murder cases involving journalists in the country.

Hers was among the more recent ones.

Hers, too, was among the very few that led to the conviction of the assassins and in just a span of 17 months, a record by Philippine justice system standard. more

Word on the guilty verdict handed down by the court on the three persons accused of killing journalist Marlene Garcia-Esperat spread like the proverbial wildfire through the different Philippine news websites last Friday.

A running account on one site was connected to another website. News websites changed their headline stories within minutes from the promulgation of the decision to carry reports on the guilty verdict. Finally, there was a positive outcome to the many pending cases over the killing of journalists. more

Trial of the case was transferred from Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat to Cebu City after the Supreme Court granted the prosecution’s request for change of venue.

Arellano said the transfer of venue really helped in getting witnesses to testify against the suspects. The witnesses were also placed under the government’s witness protection program.

Last year, a Cebu court convicted Guillermo Wapille, a former police officer for the murder of Edgar Damalerio, managing editor and columnist of the weekly Zamboanga Scribe and commentator of radio dyKP.

Damalerio was killed on the night of May 13, 2002, while on his way home from a press conference.

Wapille who was sentenced to life imprisonment was sent back to Pagadian to face trial for another criminal charge.

The complete trial of Damalerio and Esperat lasted for eight months, Arellano said.

The Regional State Prosecutor vowed to monitor the developments of the convicts to ensure the delivery of complete justice.

Gerry Cabagay, Randy Grecia, and Estanislao Bismanos were convicted of murder for shooting to death Esperat by Cebu City Regional Trial Court Branch 21 Judge Eric Menchavez.

Valmie Garcia Mariveles, Esperat’s sister, said they are happy to have obtained partial justice for her sister.

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12:40 p.m. – The lawyer of the late Marlene Garcia-Esperat filed a motion for reconsideration to reinstate the murder charge against the alleged masterminds, Osmena Montaner and Estrella Sabay.

Lawyer Nena Santos filed the motion after RTC Judge Eric Menchavez found the three suspects–Gerry Cabagay, Randy Grecia and Estanislao Bismanos–guilty of murdering Esperat in Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat on March 24, 2005. The three were found guilty of murder qualified by treachery and were sentenced to suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua with the accessory penalties of the law.

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Menchavez in his decision read by clerk of court Maria Teresa Jaca finds Gerry Cabagay, Randy Grecia, and Estanislao Bismanos guilty of murder.

He further said in his decision that the element of treachery was present in the commission of the crime.

Esperat, 46, was a chemist who became an anti-corruption activist and columnist for the Midland Review, a community paper in central Mindanao.

She was gunned down on March 24, 2005, at her home in Tacurong City while taking supper as her daughter and two sons watched in horror.

Clerk of court Maria Teresa Jaca reads from the decision on Marlene  Esperat’s murder case.

Esperat’s kids listen attentively to the reading.

With them are personnel from the Department of Justice.

They were escorted by six heavily armed jail guards.