For whom the bell tolls

Dr. Jerry Ortega

IN a country that is fast gaining notoriety as the killing field of journalists, the brazen murder of Dr. Jerry Ortega no longer comes as a shock. According to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), Ortega is the 142^nd journalist to fall – and the union is still counting.

Ortega’s alleged murderer was caught, thanks to concerned witnesses and the local police, and the murder weapon seized. It is said to be licensed to the Palawan provincial administrator, one of Ortega’s targets in his anti-mining tirades over the radio.

By some fateful coincidence, the killing comes after the confession of the alleged killer of another journalist from Davao del Sur, Nestor Denolido who was killed sometime in June last year. The alleged killer has pinpointed another top local official as the mastermind of the killing, Davao del Sur Governor Douglas Cagas.

Cagas, who is no stranger to controversies, has of course denied his involvement, saying he was attending a seminar in Manila when the killing happened, proof of which can easily be provided. But being the alleged mastermind, does one have to be on the murder scene when it happened?  A rabid anti-communist who has partnered with Jun Alcober, Cagas has been involved in anti-communist activities years ago when the frenzy seized Davao, and many of their victims, many of whom were innocent bystanders, floated down the river near Agdao which earned the moniker “Nicaragdao”.  

In a TV interview, Cagas also takes a swipe at the late Denolido, saying the guy was not really a journalist because he didn’t even know his grammar.  Well, Mr. Cagas may claim perfection in his use of the King’s English being an honor student once and a bar topnotcher at that, but that’s a different story altogether.(Read full story here. )

Lawyer and erstwhile senatorial candidate Adel Tamano seems positive he can nail the perpetrators of the crime with the alleged killer’s confession. Let’s hope Tamano’s posturing is for real.

Sugar monitor

Ortega’s murder is still very recent. It may take a few more days before formal charges can be filed against the alleged perpetrator. For now, only the provincial administrator is being pinpointed being the owner of the gun, but he can always say it was stolen from him or used without his permission. But the circumstances are very evident. Ortega has attacked him in his radio commentaries – and he gets killed with the gun licensed to the administrator.

The court can always have its own opinion but in my mind, it is crystal clear who are the killers of Denolido and Ortega.

To borrow a quote from John Doone: “Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.”