The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines share the dismay and incredulity of our colleagues in Sorsogon province over police claims that the New People’s Army murdered Jobert “Polpog” Bercasio, the former radio reporter who hosted a commentary show on social media, who was gunned down in Sorsogon City on September 14 last year by motorcycle-riding killers armed with assault rifles.
There were enough inconsistencies and discrepancies noted by our colleagues in the account given by the police chiefs of Sorsogon city and province – not least of all that authorities are relying on what appears to be a new phenomenon, a “walk-in witness” supposed to be the lookout but who “was not even informed of who the target would be” – that they were driven to ask, in a statement, “Ano ba talaga, kuya?”
Just as farfetched was the motive Sorsogon police chief, Lt. Col. Benito Dipad, gave our colleagues for the killing: “that Jobert might have been suspected of being a government asset because he became a friend of Dipad and had frequently talked with some military men!”
Indeed, this theory is flimsy because it begs the question: what about the thousands of journalists, the millions of Filipinos even, who have friends and even relatives in the armed services?
Indeed, this theory is flimsy because it begs the question: what about the thousands of journalists, the millions of Filipinos even, who have friends and even relatives in the armed services?
As the statement of the Sorsogon media points out: “And here’s the reality. We all know that it had been a convenient escape for the PNP to attribute crimes to the NPA whenever they fail to solve them, for how can the rebels argue against the accusation?”
Still, we join our colleagues in Sorsogon, in calling on the local NPA leadership to speak up on the matter, much as Maria Roja Banua, spokesperson of the National Democratic Front in the Bicol region, did on September 20 to condemn the murder of Bercasio.
We commend our Sorsogon colleagues and are one with them in insisting that the investigation into Jobert Bercasio’s murder be credible because what he deserves – as do all of our fallen colleagues – is justice, not made into a pawn for anyone’s agenda or the subject of cheap propaganda.
Reference:
National Directorate
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