Justice Secretary Leila De Lima ordered the filing of murder charges against former Davao Del Sur Governor Douglas Cagas and several others for the death of journalist Nestor Bedolido Sr.
In a 16-page resolution, De Lima ordered the filing of murder charges against Cagas, Mayor Vicente “Butch” Fernandez, Ali Ordaneza and Bado “BadoBaritua” Sanchez and ordered the withdrawal of information (charge sheet) against Voltaire Mirafuentes and Artemio “Dokdok” Timosan Jr.
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The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) is pressing the Aquino administration to act with dispatch and impartiality on the killing of a Davao del Sur newsman whose alleged assailant has tagged two provincial officials as the masterminds.
Lawyer Adel Tamano, counsel of the NUJP and of the son of slain journalist Nestor Bedolido, said the killing was “a rare case” because the evidence pointing to the alleged masterminds—Gov. Douglas Cagas of Davao del Sur and Matanao Mayor Butch Fernandez—was clear.
“In most killings of journalists, there are no witnesses and hence it is very difficult for the cases to move forward. However, in this case the killer has turned himself in to the police, executed an affidavit admitting his guilt and has explicitly stated that Governor Cagas ordered the killing,” Tamano said in a press briefing last week in Manila.
In October, the main suspect, Voltaire Mirafuentes, made a confession and named Cagas and Fernandez as the brains behind the killing.
Bedolido, a writer for a local weekly newspaper and former editor of the Digos Times owned by Cagas, was shot dead in Digos City in June last year.
Tamano said Bedolido was Cagas’ “PR man” but had a falling out with him before going to work for his rival, former Davao del Sur Rep. Claude Bautista.
“The Aquino administration, through Secretary (Leila) De Lima must quickly and impartially resolve the case. This is one of the rare instances where there is strong evidence to bring criminal charges against the killers of a media man,” Tamano said.
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