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Monday, April 04, 2005
Reds probe slaying of journalists
By Bong S. Sarmiento
KORONADAL CITY -- Communist rebels operating in Sultan Kudarat province are conducting their own probe on the fresh murder of journalist Marlene Garcia Esperat, vowing to mete revolutionary punishment on persons found guilty for her death.
Esperat, 45, was shot in the head last March 24 evening in full view of her children inside their house in Barangay New Isabela, Tacurong City.
Ka Efren, spokesman of the New People's Army (NPA)-Far South Mindanao region, said there are indications that "powerful persons in government" could be behind her killing.
She said Esperat made an enemy out of the government officials through her fearless exposes on purported wrongdoings.
Citing their initial investigation, the NPA spokesman alleged that those behind Esperat's killing include former National Food Authority administrator and now Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, the Montilla brothers (Lino, incumbent Tacurong City mayor, and Roncal, former three-time Sultan Kudarat congressman) and Superintendent Willie Dangane, former Region 12 Police Special Operations Group chief and now General Santos City police director.
Not only did Esperat write negatively at them in her column "Madam Witness" for the weekly Midland Review before she was killed, she also filed cases against them.
But those that the NPA spokesman named had earlier denied either involvement in the victim's death or accusations of wrongdoing from her.
Earlier, Jorge, Esperat's husband, also mentioned some names cited by Ka Efren as those allegedly behind the journalist's death.
"We have been gathering information and their names cropped up (as allegedly behind Esperat's death.) And we are continuously gathering information from our men in the field on why and who killed her," Ka Efren told Bombo Radyo on the 36th foundation anniversary of the NPA Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Government of Sultan Kudarat on Thursday announced a P200,000 reward for the capture of the killers of journalist Marlene Garcia-Esperat.
Sultan Kudarat Governor Pakung Mangudadatu told local reporters the bounty "was meant to hasten the resolution of the slaying of the victim."
The governor said that informants could get in touch with his office or through the provincial police office headed by Senior Superintendent Paniares Adap for any information leads.
Esperat was gunned down inside her home in full view of her children on Maundy Thursday evening in Tacurong City, about 40 kilometers northwest from here.
Two men, whose cartographic sketches have been released by the police, carried out the murder.
For Bisaya stories from General Santos. Click here. (This section is updated every Monday)
(April 4, 2005 issue)
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