MANILA – Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) Executive Director, Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco, said the Philippine National Police (PNP) has filed a murder complaint against two suspects in the killing of Jaynard Angeles, former broadcaster of Radyo Ni Juan, in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat a month ago.
Egco said the PNP Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) has finished its initial probe with the formal filing of a murder charge against suspects Dalod Palakasi and Alamsor Matakending, both residents of Mangudadatu, Maguindanao, before the Office of the Prosecutor of Tacurong City.
"The Presidential Task Force conveys its utmost gratitude to the men and women of the PNP in Sultan Kudarat who worked tirelessly in the investigation into the killing of former broadcaster Jaynard Angeles,” Egco said in a news release on Friday.
He said the filing of murder charges against the suspects is a testament to the government’s “relentless commitment” to bring to justice all perpetrators of violence and to end impunity.
He said the filing of complaint against Palakasi and Matakending was made just a few after a similar murder case was also filed against the suspected killers of veteran journalist Jess Malabanan.
Angeles was shot and killed at an auto repair shop in Purok Sampaguita, Barangay New Carmen in Tacurong City on Jan. 12, 2022. Investigation revealed that the two gunmen approached the victim and shot him in the head which caused his death before the suspects immediately fled the scene onboard a motorcycle.
The government through the PTFoMS immediately condemned the killing “in the strongest possible terms” and vowed to hunt down the perpetrators even if Angeles was a former media practitioner.
Egco promised to bring to justice the masterminds of this heinous crime. The suspects were positively identified by eyewitnesses who gave their affidavits to the PNP.
Prior to the incident, Angeles was dismissed for cause by the management of Radyo ni Juan 88.3 FM Station. He was running for councilor in his hometown of Lambayong.
Egco said the government is working non-stop in its quest to protect media workers, especially in the coming May 9 national and local elections.
He said based on data collected by PTFoMS, there is an increase in violence perpetrated against media practitioners before, during, and after the elections, prompting him to request the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to designate PNP officials as PTFoMS Focal Persons in each province and city nationwide. The DILG promptly granted his request.
Dubbed as Media Security Vanguards, the Focal Persons are composed of PNP’s Public Information Officers and will serve as the “first line of defense” of journalists all over the country as they will be the first to receive and respond to all threats leveled against any media worker.
They will also coordinate directly with PTFoMS Special Agents in expediting the resolution of cases of violence against media workers.
“We took this initiative for the designation of PNP officers as Media Vanguards as part of our proactive efforts to ensure the safety of media workers especially during this critical period in Philippine history as envisioned by President Rodrigo Duterte in his Administrative Order No. 1 (AO1),” Egco said. (PR)
