DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Journalists in Dumaguete City are up in arms against the death of broadcaster Edmund Sestoso, of DYGB-FM, who was brutally killed by still unknown gunman last Monday, April 30, 2018.
Reports revealed, Sestoso was shot five times in broad daylight by riding in tandem assassins in Barangay Daro, Dumaguete City.
Police reports showed five fatal wounds hit Sestoso’s chest and abdomen from a .45 caliber pistol. He underwent surgical procedure at the Silliman University Medical Center Foundation, Inc. but expired the following day.
On Monday, Sestoso boarded a tricycle with body number 1993 on or about 10:30 in the morning towards his boarding house at Aldecoa Street, Barangay Daro, Dumaguete City, when a riding in tandem shot him at close range while he was paying for his fare.
His killers did not even cover their face, the police said.
The driver of the tricycle said he failed to see the face of the suspects because he was attending to Sestoso.
Recovered from the crime scene were three empty shells for cal. 45 pistol, two cellphones of the victim and one slug. Another slug for cal. 45 pistol was found during the examination at the Silliman Medical Center Inc.
Police Senior Inspector Fortunato Villafuerte said the police is looking at all possible angles. They are in possession of a CCTV footage near the crime scene. He said other CCTV footages along the route from Jollibee north up to the place where he disembarked is also being checked because of the information that he was being followed from the radio station up to Aldecoa road in Daro.
Dumaguete Mayor Felipe Remollo called on the police and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate Sestoso’s death. Remollo had issued an official statement condemning the cowardly act of shooting a defenseless individual who was an active media practitioner in the city. He called on authorities to go the extra mile and encouraged those who may have witnessed or have knowledge about the dastardly act to speak up so that the perpetrators shall be identified, tried and meted the appropriate penalty.
This is the first time “nga murag gipanamastamasan ang Dumaguete,” the mayor pointed out. Remollo considered Sestoso to be lighter as a commentator compared to others who also attacked politicians in the city and the province, but remained alive.
“I salute the dedication of Sestoso to his work, he attacks with evidences and documents.” Remollo said. He was hoping the case will not be shelved under the rag and the persons involved shall be put to jail and divulge the mastermind.
The Dumaguete Press Radio and TV Club Inc. (DPRCI) headed by Juancho R. Gallarde and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters sa Pilipinas (KBP) headed by Sherlyn Abella lambasted and condemned in the highest possible terms the dastardly act committed against a member of the fourth estate. The DPRCI and the KBP has called on the police to dig deeper in its investigation and give justice to the media in the city and province. Gallarde and Abella said the death of their colleague was an affront to press freedom and everybody should worry because of its implications.
The journalists called on the authorities to conduct an investigation and solve the killing, and place the perpetrators behind bars.
Starting Wednesday, May 2, journalists in Dumaguete held simultaneous broadcast at 8:00 in the morning, which was the timeslot of Sestoso, to pressure authorities to run after his killers.
Dumaguete journalists view Sestoso’s death, as an affront to press freedom.
Fr. Ramonito Maata. station manager of DYWC-AM, an amplitude modulation station owned by the Diocese of Dumaguete said “We are hoping that government, the police and other agencies involved will endeavor to solve the said crime and to give justice to the death of our colleague in the industry.”
Maata said “we offer our sincere condolences to the family of the late Edmund Sestoso and prayers for the eternal repose of his soul.”
Veteran journalist Ely Dejaresco, owner of DYEM-FM and Negros Chronicle, called on the media to stop discussing politics and instead cover other areas in the news. “As a matter of fact, in journalism, politics is just one percent of the things that can be talked about in the media.”
Police authorities in Dumaguete has yet to determine the motive behind Sestoso’s death, but journalists believe it was work related.
Sestoso used to work for Gov. Roel Degamo, as his radio commentator, before he joined DYGB.
Dumaguete media members and former media practitioners agree that they will not allow the death of Sestoso to “silence them” in their quest for the truth and are not cowed by threats of politicians or from anybody who may be the subject of news reports in their daily coverage.-Newsline.ph
