MICHAEL MEDINA
Editor-in-chief
OROQUIETA CITY--Resident priest Fr. Arnold Daplin Has condemned the killing of Ernesto “Ka Ernie” Rollin; who was shot within the parochial jurisdiction of the pastor.
Daplin added he condoles with Rollin’s family as he called on the police to investigate, immediately arrest and prosecute the killers.
As of this writing, the self imposed countdown by media on police work for the solution of Rollin’s case is now on its 22th day.
“The church cannot discount an attempt to stifle press freedom, which is highly condemnable,” Daplin said.
Rollin, commentator of DxSY based in Ozamiz City, was shot dead by two assassins riding in a motorcycle at the national highway of Brgy. Talic while waiting for a public transport.
PNP Provincial Director Leonilo Cabug declared that they are still corroborating the angles of love triangle, property dispute, politics and drugs.
But Bukagan Chronicle, in its maiden issue dated Feb. 15-22, said Ocampos could not be discounted as among the alleged suspects in the death of Rollin because he has been consitently mentioned by Rollin in his radio program.
This premise was even mentioned by Ocampos to reporters during his visit to the Philippine Army’s Tabak Division in Pulacan Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur when he attended the turn-over of the new Tabak chief.
“Even I am considered as a suspect after Ka Ernie lambasted me for two weeks in his radio program,” Ocampos was quoted as saying.
“Task Force Usig,” a special investigating body created by DOJ has designated the NBI and the CIDG from Manila as the lead agency to conduct the investigation following the petition thru a resolution of the CSO-FP-MEDIA Fact Finding Team questioning the legality of the task force created by Ocampos.
The said group has requested the DOJ to create an independent body or a special team to avoid the partiality of the case.
The group also said in their information paper that it has presented to the DOJ their evaluation and recommendations based on the actual facts that only two out of the four angles are valid for justified reasons and that in their paper they are putting forward the political aspect as the possible motive that led to the killing of Rollin.
The fact finding team, which is based in Iligan City, has informed this paper that “Task Force Usig,” accordingly has identified the two suspects,
Although sketchy, the said report claimed that the one who voluntarily surrendered was the gunman. His identity though is still withheld due to the ongoing probe.
But Cabug dispelled the report as “flase and uncorroborated.”
On other hand, Daplin urged his parishioners to offer prayers for the soul of the slain radio personality.
The cleric said if there is no end to the senseless killings of broadcasters, it is because the perpetrators have been emboldened by the failure of law enforcers to solve past cases of neither media slayings nor arrest and prosecute the culprits.
Daplin challenged the law enforcement authorities of this province to exert more effort in breaking up gun-for-hire syndicates and in filing criminal cases against the mercenary hit men.
“We have the Court to persecute the offender and we don’t have the right to kill anyone no matter how sinful the person is,” Daplin concluded. WITH WENDELL TALIBONG