vonjobi: wow, congratulations! kelan ang trip? i hope i'll be around when you come. had a good time with diosa last...
Keith Bacongco: Knowing Nograles and his Big Boss...garapalan na lang talaga.
Vinia Datinguinoo Mukherjee: Congratulations, PCIJ! Mabuhay kayo!
Lead Philippines: But without credible mass media there, what is left to protect the people..?
vonjobi: it's juned sOniDo.

Latest Message 5 months ago

hopeless_race : Lets not just focus sa mga malversation of funds, sa mga overpricing..ating pagtuunan ng atensyon ang diskarte ng mga politiko na umuutang ng bilyon bilyon sa gobyerno."Small time" ang ibang pamamaraan ng pangungurakot kumpara sa pag-utang sa gobyerno ng bilyon na tunay ngang masasabing "pinaka big-time" at wala pang sabit.
hopeless_race : Mukhang tikom ang bibig ng lahat pagdating sa diskarte ng mga politiko sa pagutang ng mga bilyon bilyon sa gobyerno na tinatakbuhan. Itong pamamaraan na ito ang tunay na kumakain ng malaking porsyento ng ating national budget batay na din sa sinasabi ng world bank.
hopeless_race : Pakisilip naman po ang mga utang ni Villar sa BSP, ang mga utang nila RAMON JACINTO, RONNIE ZAMORA, JOE DE VENECIA at madami pang ibang mga pulitiko. Iilan lamang yan sa mga nababanggit sa balita na may mga malalaking utang sa gobyerno.
hopeless_race : Nagmimistulang "small time" lamang ang malversation of funds kumpara sa laki ng kinakamal ng mga umuutang sa gobyerno. At ito ay malinaw na natatakbuhan dahil hindi nga naman pwede makulong ang may-ari ng kumpanya sa pagkaka-utang lamang. Tunay na mga tuso at magagaling sa batas itong mga politiko natin. Masasabi ko na malamang lahat ng mga politiko ganito ang diskarte...wala pang kulong.
hopeless_race : PCIJ pkitingnan naman po ang mga gaya ni Villar na my malaking utang sa Gobyerno pero tinatakbuhan. Magtatayo ng kumpanya at uutang ng bilyon bilyon sa gobyerno ng walang balak bayaran. Tunay ngang walang nakukulong sa utang...ito ang prinsipyo ginagamit ng mga politiko ntin kaya nakakapagtaka kung san napupunta ang daang bilyong pera ng gobyerno.
hopeless_race : Sana itreat naman po ng media ang hacienda luisita at mendiola massacre na parang MAGUINADANAO MASSACRE. Ipublicized ang mga katotohanan at ipakita sa tao ang karumaldumal na pinaggagawa sa mga farmers dun. Untouchable po ba sila cory at danding at hindi magawang batikusin ng media about these two massacres?
hopeless_race : Kapag napaguusapan ang mendiola at hacienda luisita massacre ay parang walang nangyari at parang hindi big deal. Anu po ba ang pinagkaiba ng dalawang nabanggit na massacre sa maguindanao massacre?
hopeless_race : Its sad that we pinoys are blind to the fact of what had happened in mendiola and hacienda luisita. Ang tanong..bakit ang media ay hindi manlang matackle ang ganitong usapin? Takot ba sila kay cory at danding?
hopeless_race : Wilkins" brand, for P1.4 billion.-1999 Sugarland Multi-Food Corp. for P2.9 billion 2001- Purefoods Corp P7 billion P60 billion Coca-Cola ... See More 2002- Cosmos Bottling Corp. from RFM Corp. for P14.1 billion October 2008- GSIS' shares in Meralco worth PHP30 Billion. December 2008- country's biggest oil refiner, Petron Corporation. international company shopping spree: Australian boutique brewer J. Boag and Son for A$96 million in 2000. $97 million for Thai Amarit Brewery Ltd $35.5 mi
hopeless_race : Gud am..glad to be back.
jr_lad : rip mr. alecks pabico. you'll be greatly missed!
sevens21 : Dati input mo lng name at SSS ID makukuha mo agad STATIC INFO...
sevens21 : tawag ka sa HOTLINE nila walang ANSWER grrr we need pa namn ng static info SSS Gising!!!
sevens21 : Gawa naman po kayo ng article about SSS. Pangit ng site nila dali ma blocked ng account
guest_899 : we must check the background of each potential candidates to avoid having another big mistake like GMA
guest_899 : congratulations to PCIJ, more power and God Bless !
jazzymuver : how did Arroyo swallow that kind of things!! how come that she just spend the money our countrymen for her own sake!!
guest_3664 : i would be glad if u can include the investigation of the manner public officials announce infra projects as per COA regulation. It is frustrating to see their faces on the tarpaulin instead of the prescribed information like name of project, date of implementation,amount of contract, source/s of fund, among other things. This is very rampant here in Marikina. Thanks and more power on your noble endeavors. We need people like you to have make our country great again.
jhanz_08 : im making research on R.A 9136...with rgards to the privatization of NPC..could someone out there can let me understand more bout this matter?why was monopoly dismantled?email me..jhanycem@yahoo.com...thanks much
erika marie : P.S.:) my paper is due next week and i do hope someone could provide me these reports coming from reliable resources thank you ulit.
erika marie : P.S.
guest_4275 : i am currently doing a study regarding political killings in the philippines. could someone out there please send me human rights reports under Aquino and Ramos administration. you could send it at my email: erikamariet@yahoo.com your response would surely be very much appreciated. thank you everyone. god bless.
guest_4275 : i am currently doing a study for my paper regarding political killings in the philippines. i noted that there are no human rights reports during the Aquino and Ramos administration. could someone out there please send me reports regarding these matter? i do hope these reports came from reliable resources you could send it in my email; erikamariet@yahoo.comyour response would surely be appreciated. thanks everyone. god bless.
jayson bourne : gusto ko po maging member ng PCIJ, panu po ba? may application po ba? sana mapadalhan nyo ako ng info sa email ko... www.jboxpenshoppe@yahoo.com
jayson bourne : cory is OK, but kris & Noynoy sensationalize masyado...
guest_9891 : LABAN pa rin!
meow : boycotts worked during marcos years. how about doing it now against the businesses of the con-ass congressmen?
meow : aside from 168, what other establishments can we boycott that belong to the arroyos and their cronies?
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Finally, justice for Marlene Esperat but…

Posted by: Alecks P. Pabico | October 6, 2006 at 4:12 pm
Filed under: In the News, Journalist Killings, Media

THREE of the accused in the brutal killing of whistleblower-turned-journalist Marlene Esperat have been found guilty and meted the penalty of reclusion perpetua. But the identified masterminds, high-ranking officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region XII, have not yet been brought to justice.

Judge Eric Menchavez of the Cebu City RTC Branch 21 rendered the guilty verdict on Esperat’s killers — ex-Sgt. Estanislao Bismanos, alias Jun, Gerry Cabayag, the confessed triggerman, and Randy Grecia, alias Jeck — for the crime of murder qualified by treachery. The court also ordered the three to indemnify Esperat’s heirs in the sum of P75,000 for civil indemnity, another P75,000 for moral damages, P25,000 for exemplary damages, and attorney’s fees.

Another accused turned state witness, Rowie Barua, an ex-military intelligence officer who acted as coordinator, was acquitted. (Download Menchavez’s decision.)

However, the verdict on the two alleged masterminds, DA Region XII finance officer Osmeña Montañer and accountant Estrella Sabay, has been deferred pending the Court of Appeals ruling on their certiorari petition.

Testifying in court on July 4, 2005, Barua pointed to Montañer and Sabay as the masterminds in Esperat’s murder. Barua told the court, in detail, how he was asked by Montañer and Sabay to plan and undertake the killing of Esperat — a period of more than two months from the planning stages in early 2005, to the point of hiring Bismanos and company to “silence” the journalist, up to the time of payment for the hatchet job.

Esperat, a columnist for the Sultan Kudarat paper The Midland Review, wrote exposés and filed cases with the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the corruption inside the Department of Agriculture which not only involves the two suspected slay masterminds but also several high-ranking national officials, particularly with regard to the so-called multi-million peso fertilizer scam.

Barua’s direct examination also refuted the defense’s argument that he and Sabay were mere acquaintances.

On the strength of Barua’s testimony, the prosecution had wanted Montañer and Sabay included as additional accused in an amended murder complaint filed on April 15, 2005 after initially Menchavez rejected its motion to reconsider the dismissed murder charges against the two.

Led by Cotabato City prosecutor Tocod Ronda, a known ally of Montañer, the prosecution panel formed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) endorsed the dismissal of charges against the two officials on June 29, 2005. A month later, DOJ reorganized the panel, now excluding Ronda, and eventually re-filed the murder charges. Ronda was later sacked from his post.

Last August 31, the judge originally handling the case, Francis Palmones of the Tacurong City RTC, dismissed the murder charges against Montañer and Sabay despite the strong testimony of Barua and the support of the DOJ.

The Cebu City RTC decision came after one and a half years since Esperat was murdered on March 24, 2005 in front of her children by a lone gunman (Cabayag) who casually walked into the living room of her home in Tacurong City and fired a single bullet at her.

While more than happy that the nine-month trial had concluded with a sentence of life imprisonment for Esperat’s hit men, the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists, Inc. (FFFJ) said today’s conviction is “an incomplete victory for press freedom…until the identified masterminds, Department of Agriculture Region XII finance officer Osmeña Montañer and accountant Estrella Sabay, are likewise tried for murder.”

The regional media watchdog, Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA), also echoed FFFJ’s position. “The case is encouraging and provides an important victory, but it is not closed,” Roby Alampay, SEAPA executive director stressed that “until masterminds behind the killings of journalists are brought to justice, the climate of impunity will continue to threaten the Philippine media.”

In a statement, the FFFJ also claimed the victory is incomplete, pointing to the Esperat case as “only the second successful conviction among the 28 cases of journalists slain in the line of duty under the Arroyo administration.”

Previously, the only successful prosecution had been the murder of Edgar Damalerio which led to the conviction of former police officer Guillermo Wapile in November 2005 who was meted the penalty of life imprisonment.

Rachel Khan, FFFJ coordinator, likewise deplored that despite the constitutionally protected freedom of the press, the recent spate of journalists’ killings has unfortunately earned the country the reputation of being “the most dangerous place for journalists,” in international media circles.

“The pursuit of justice in the case of Marlene Esperat would not have been possible without the support of concerned citizens and media organizations, both local and international. FFFJ hopes that today’s victory will set the ball rolling for other cases of slain journalists even as it signals media’s determination to pursue the cases until both assassins and masterminds are behind bars,” she said.

Pending in Manila courts are the murder cases of publisher-editor Philip Agustin and radio journalist Roger Mariano. Meanwhile, some 23 cases have yet to be filed even as police have failed to come up with the necessary evidence for the prosecution.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 6th, 2006 and is filed under In the News, Journalist Killings, Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

5 people have left comments

The accused should have been sentenced to death. I hope the courts will hand a guilty verdict to the masterminds as well. But who knows, maybe this will end up as a “there was murder, but no masterminds” type of deal.

Oh well, since the death penalty is illegal, I pray to God that these three idiots are killed in prison.

ryebosco wrote on October 6, 2006 - 9:52 pm | Visit Link

Now that the Geese are cooked, let go and get Papa Goose or Geese and cook them good as well.

naykika wrote on October 7, 2006 - 1:59 am | Visit Link

A half cooked justice for Marlene Esperat and her family since the masterminds are still free. Not until Sabay and Montañer be charged for their involvement in the murder of Esperat, justice is not fully rendered. Judge Palmores decision to dismiss charges against Montañer and Sabay only shows that he has no sound judgement!

Cecile Impens wrote on November 1, 2006 - 3:28 am | Visit Link

[...] Estanislao Bismanos, along with Randy Grecia (co-conspirator) and Gerry Cabayag (lookout) were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by Cebu City RTC Judge Eric Menchavez on October 6, [...]

The Daily PCIJ » Blog Archive » Journalists slam Cebu court decision to stop trial of Esperat slay ‘brains’ wrote on October 20, 2008 - 7:17 pm | Visit Link

[...] his July 4, 2005 testimony before Judge Eric Menchavez of the Cebu City RTC Branch 21, Barua, an ex-military intelligence [...]

The Daily PCIJ » Blog Archive » Murder charges filed vs Esperat killing’s alleged masterminds wrote on October 20, 2008 - 7:30 pm | Visit Link