Policeman Arrested in Connection with Journalist's Murder

Source: Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR)
May 21, 2002

On Friday 17 May 2002, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested a policeman in Pagadian City, southern Philippines, in connection with the killing of journalist Edgar Damalerio, Metro Manila newspapers reported on 18 May.

An eye witness in the custody of the NBI picked out Police Officer 1 Guillermo Wapili from a police lineup as the killer, and not Ronie Quilme who was arrested on Friday 17 May by Pagadian police on suspicion of the same offense.

The Pagadian police claimed that another witness in their custody had identified Quilme as the killer. However, on 17 May the "Philippine Daily Inquirer", "Manila Times" and "Today" reported that the NBI doubted the veracity of the police witness' identification because the witness could not have had a good look at the killer as he was too far away. Nonetheless, the Pagadian police filed charges of murder against Quilme before the city Prosecutor's Office on 16 May, reported the Manila newspapers.

On 18 May, newspaper reports said the NBI believes that its witness had a better look at the killer and is thus more credible. The same reports also said that the NBI viewed the arrest and filing of charges against Quilme, who it claimed did not fit the description given by its witness, as an attempt to cover up Wapili's involvement in the case.

Wapili's immediate superior, City Police Director Superintendent Asuri Hawani, had been criticised by Damalerio in his commentaries.

Damalerio, of Pagadian city, Mindanao, southern Philippines was killed on 13 May as he rushed home from a press conference. He was managing editor of the "Zamboanga Scribe" weekly newspaper, commentator for radio station DXKP and a correspondent for the "Mindanao Gold Star".

Damalerio died of a single gunshot wound in the chest. He had just attended a press conference called by the Zamboanga del Sur Electric Rural Cooperative and was driving home when motorcycle-riding men shot him at close range. He died on arrival at the hospital.

Damalerio was well known in the city for his reports exposing the corruption of government officials. His latest exposé, the "Manila Times" reported, was on the failure of the Lanao del Sur Electric Cooperative (Lasureco) to complete any of its projects during the administration of former Philippine president Fidel Ramos. The story, which appeared in the "Mindanao Gold Star" on 19 April, claimed that the company lied when it reported that the projects had been completed.

Several journalism associations, including the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) and the Mindanao Institute of Journalism (MinJourn), have issued statements condemning the killing. PPI noted that not one murder of a journalist has been solved in the Philippines since 1986.

The murder of another Pagadian-based journalist, Olympio Jalapit, has yet to be solved. Jalapit was killed on 17 November 2000 (see IFEX alerts of 31 May and 28 February 2001 and 20 November 2000).

Meanwhile, the "Manila Times" reported that before his death Damalerio received the 2001 Golden Dove Award for best provincial public affairs (radio) host. The award is among those given annually by the self-regulatory body Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP - Association of Broadcasters in the Philippines) to encourage excellence in broadcasting.