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Thursday, December 01, 2005
Journalists' group hails ruling on Damalerio case
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
ONE of the largest media organizations in the country voiced optimism on a court's judgment over the slaying of their comrade journalist Edgar Damalerio saying it was a "small victory."
Jose Torres Jr., chairman of the Commission for the Protection of Journalists of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), said the Cebu Regional Trial Court convicted Wednesday Guillermo Wapille, a former police officer, for the murder of Damalerio.
Wapille was sentenced life imprisonment.
"It was a victory for press freedom," Torres said.
"The resolution of the Damalerio case is only a small victory if seen against the continuing harassments and killings of journalists in the past two years," he added.
In a statement to Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro, Torres said, they are happy for the Damalerio family although they believe the victim's wife Gemma and children would have wanted more.
He said this as he lamented how the court's decision failed to unmask the mastermind of the gruesome murder.
"We can jail all the killers, but until those behind the killings are unmasked and punished for their crimes, press freedom in this country will continue to be threatened," he said.
Torres said the resolution of the Damalerio case proves that if the media unite and fight for justice and press freedom nothing is impossible.
"The NUJP congratulates all those who were behind the fight for justice in the Damalerio case," Torres said.
"But we call on everybody not to be contented with this small victory," he added.
Torres said, "Let us continue to call on the government to address the more than 70 cases of killings of journalists since 1986."
"The Damalerio case is an inspiration. It was a test case and we have proven that together we can do it," he said.
The Cebu court gave weight to the testimony of Edgar Ongue, a farmer who witnessed the assassination of Damalerio on May 13, 2002, in Pagadian City.
Damalerio was managing editor and columnist of the weekly Zamboanga Scribe and commentator of radio dyKP.
He was killed on the night of May 13, 2002, while on his way home from a press conference.
Damalerio was shot in the chest and died before reaching the hospital.
Ongue testified that he and another witness, Edgar Amoro, were riding in the vehicle Damalerio was driving when two men onboard a motorcycle pulled up beside them.
Ongue told the court that one of the men pointed a gun at Damalerio and shot him.
Amoro, meanwhile, was killed before he could appear in court.
His death prompted Damalerio's family to ask for the transfer of the trial from Pagadian City to Cebu City in April.
Three other witnesses had been killed from the time Damalerio was murdered.
Leonido Buhisan, the policeman who first responded to the crime, was killed in 2004.
Rudy Garcia, who witnessed the actual shooting, was murdered in 2003.
Jeffrey Cervantes, another eyewitness, was killed in 2004.
(December 1, 2005 issue)
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