The late radio broadcaster Cornelio Pepino, also known as Rex Cornelio of DYMD in Dumaguete City (Photo courtesy of Syril Repe)
DUMAGUETE CITY – The Dumaguete City Council has asked Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo to offer a PHP1-million reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of perpetrators behind the death of radio anchor Cornelio Pepino and other media practitioners.
The request was made through a resolution passed by the city council during its regular session Wednesday afternoon.
"This is not only for the personal application for the media practitioners but for the constitutional guarantees and mandate of the freedom of speech and freedom of the press," said Vice Mayor Alan Gel Cordova, the presiding officer of the city council.
“It is not just you who becomes fearful for your lives, but also us politicians as well as the public at large,” he added.
Through the resolution, the council is hoping that justice will be served to Pepino, and the deaths of Edmund Sestoso and Dindo Generoso, also radio broadcasters.
Pepino, also known as Rex Cornelio on air, a reporter/anchor of DYMD here, was shot dead by two unidentified motorcycle-riding suspects along the national highway in Barangay Daro here around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Sestoso was killed in 2018 and Generoso in late 2019.
The city council, in its regular session, approved a resolution for the repeal of the helmet law and allow local governments to pass their own helmet requirement ordinances.
This was approved on mass motion through the chair of the committee on rules Councilor Karissa Faye Tolentino Maxino.
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage of the city government’s security cameras showed a series of events that led to Pepino’s death.
Reviewed by Remollo and other city officials soon after the shooting incident, video clips showed that Pepino, who was driving a motorcycle with his wife, was being tailed after he had left the station that night after his regular program.
The suspects, who were also riding on a motorcycle, were wearing helmets and their faces covered.
Cordova said that although the suspects were recorded through the CCTV cameras, they were wearing full-face helmets.
Cordova said this defeats the purpose of having a sophisticated multi-million CCTV system in the city as the suspects could hardly be identified.
The city council also requested the province’s three House representatives, namely Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong of the 1st district, Rep. Manuel Sagarbarria of the 2nd district, and Rep. Arnolfo Teves, Jr. of the 3rd district, to initiate moves in Congress for the repeal of the helmet law and allow local government units (LGUs) to pass their own helmet requirement ordinances.
Cordova said the same resolution would be sent to the Senate president and the House Speaker for reconsideration. (PNA)
