PRESS STATEMENT
The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Northern Mindanao have recently announced the filing of a murder case before the Regional Trial Court in Oroquieta City against the suspect in the killing of DxSY broadcaster Ernesto “Ka Ernie” Rollin.
Regional State Prosecutor Jaime Umpa has declared that the suspect was positively identified by Rollin’s live-in partner, Ligaya Barrero, who was with him waiting for an Ozamiz city-bound vehicle on that fateful morning of February 23, 2009 when the shooting happened.
However, Umpa acknowledged that the suspect was only the triggerman, and the mastermind in the killing is yet to be identified as well as the motive for the attack on Rollin.
We laud the efforts of the law enforcers in going after the killers, as well as the prosecuting agencies who worked for the solution of the Rollin slay.
We understand the difficulties they have undergone in order to establish the vital information that make up a legal argument before the court to pin down those involved in the brutal act.
But amid this seeming success in bringing the resolution effort to this level, we still urge authorities to continue their lookout for vital information that may have been left out, even if this could mean starting over again.
We also insist that the authorities’ focus must be guided by the highest sense of justice: punishing those responsible and sparing those who are not. It is only through this that such a revolting act against journalists will be prevented in the future.
NEPTALIE BATOLENIO, vice-chair
National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)
Ozamiz City Chapter
Mobile phone 09297461772
The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Northern Mindanao have recently announced the filing of a murder case before the Regional Trial Court in Oroquieta City against the suspect in the killing of DxSY broadcaster Ernesto “Ka Ernie” Rollin.
Regional State Prosecutor Jaime Umpa has declared that the suspect was positively identified by Rollin’s live-in partner, Ligaya Barrero, who was with him waiting for an Ozamiz city-bound vehicle on that fateful morning of February 23, 2009 when the shooting happened.
However, Umpa acknowledged that the suspect was only the triggerman, and the mastermind in the killing is yet to be identified as well as the motive for the attack on Rollin.
We laud the efforts of the law enforcers in going after the killers, as well as the prosecuting agencies who worked for the solution of the Rollin slay.
We understand the difficulties they have undergone in order to establish the vital information that make up a legal argument before the court to pin down those involved in the brutal act.
But amid this seeming success in bringing the resolution effort to this level, we still urge authorities to continue their lookout for vital information that may have been left out, even if this could mean starting over again.
We also insist that the authorities’ focus must be guided by the highest sense of justice: punishing those responsible and sparing those who are not. It is only through this that such a revolting act against journalists will be prevented in the future.
NEPTALIE BATOLENIO, vice-chair
National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)
Ozamiz City Chapter
Mobile phone 09297461772