Assault on Tribune reporter triggers wide media condemnation

Different media groups condemned the brutal attack on The Daily Tribune Malacaang beat reporter Fernan Angeles who was mauled and shot seven times in different parts of the body by still unidentified assailants with the National Press Club (NPC) putting up a P100,000 reward for the identification of the suspects.

The Tribune issued a statement calling on the government to act decisively in solving the crime and to put up measures to protect journalists from the various risks they encounter in the exercise of their jobs.

We expect the government and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to act with expediency in capturing those responsible for this reprehensible crime, the Tribune statement read.

It also issued a call on the media community to act and seek an end to the culture of impunity that prevails in the country that allows the unabated targeting of journalists that made the

Philippines one of the most dangerous places for members of the media in the world.

Based on initial police reports, Angeles was allegedly mauled and shot seven times in the body near his residence in Pasig City. He remains in critical condition in the Pasig General Hospital.

Residents of the area where the incident occurred said Angeles was beaten black and blue, with his arms broken before he was shot seven times from a .45 caliber pistol by a supposed neighborhood toughie who enjoys protection from the Pasig Police due to supposed illegal activities.

Based on a medical report, of the seven bullet wounds which entered the body of Angeles, six exited and one bullet slug was lodged in his spinal cord that needed an operation for its removal. Angeles lost a huge volume of blood when he was brought to the hospital.

Gemma Angeles, the victims wife, said the incident happened a few meters away from his house at around 10 in the evening while he was headed to a nearby store to load up his mobile phone.

Gemma quoted witnesses as saying that Fernan was dragged by a number of men to a nearby alley where he was mauled resulting in his right arm being fractured after which he was shot several times at close range.

Gemma said that she was only informed by barangay authorities on what happened shortly after and as soon as he arrived at the crime scene he saw Fernan still able to talk and was able to reveal the identity of the man who shot him.

Angeles was rushed to the Pasig City general hospital at 11 pm and was immediately brought to the intensive care unit (ICU) for blood tranfusion.

Gemma lamented that members of the Pasig police were nowhere to be found after the shooting incident and she had to rely on barangay personell for help.

Gemma suspected the assailants as head by a known goon in the area who is associated in illegal drugs activities who she said receives protection from policemen.

Fernan told me who shot him and I told this to police investigators but members of the Pasig Police said they do not know the suspects despite the fact that there were a lot of individuals who came out to identify them, Gemma said.

When they arrived at the crime scene, the police said they cannot gather evidence anymore since the area was already cleaned up. Everybody know in our community who did this, she added.

She said Angeles angered drug pushers and their police protectors after a columnist in a tabloid newspaper wrote about the rampant selling of drugs in their vicinity where a police station was abolished after it was reported that some of its assigned units have a weekly take from the illegal drug selling activity.

The NPC which is the biggest media group in the country in which Angeles is a member had offered P100,000 as reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspects.

With NPC in raising the reward money were the Alyansa ng Filipinong Mamahayag (Afima) and Alab ng Mamamahayag (ALAM).

Yap who visited Angeles in the hospital made an appeal to Malacanang to form an independent fact-finding team to immediately resolve the case.

Yap offered to tranfer Angeles to a private hospital but due to his critical condition, the doctors did not allow it. The doctors said as soon as Angeles coondition stabilizes, they would give approve the transfer.

At the same time, Yap along with Afima president Benny Antiporda both called on President Aquino to abolish the Philippine National Police-Task Force Usig and the Justice Departments Task Force 211, since the two agencies have failed miserably in doing their mandate.

The president must create a new, more dependable group that will run after attackers and killers of journalists. A more dedicated agency that will bring perpetrators of these heinous acts to the bars of justice. Task Force Usig and Task Force 211 have not done anything significant at all in solving this problem. They should be abolished and replaced, said Yap, who is also chairman of newly-formed advocacy group, ALAM.

Malacanang also issued a statement saying We are deeply shocked and concerned over the shooting of Angeles. Interior and Local Government Secretary Jessie Robredo had directed a thorough investigation. We have also been in close contact with Mr. Angeles wife so as to render assistance to them in their hour of need. We have also communicated with the officers of the Malacaang Press Corp (MPC) to assure them that all will be done to ensure the welfare and recovery of Mr. Angeles, the Palace statement read.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) also issued its condemnation of the attack on Angeles.

PNP chief director general Nicanor Bartolome had tasked the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and the Eastern Police District (EPD) to dig deeper into the shooting incident to swiftly identify and arrest those responsible.

The EPD investigators are now working double time to limit the movement of the gunman and perhaps effect an arrest soon.

Bartolome also tasked PNP Task Force Usig to extend every possible assistance to the family of Fernan, including security to his immediate family.

The PNP are now looking into several angles to determine the motive behind the incident.

What we can share at the moment is the information that the violent attack was the result of a melee or brawl that erupted in Fernan Angeles neighborhood on Sunday evening, this information will form part of the ongoing police investigation to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident, the PNP public information office (PIO) statement said.

Angeles wife also made an appeal for blood donation to her husband who needs a type B+ blood.

Robredo had issued an order to the PNP to resolve the latest media attack the soonest.

Like Yap, Antiporda called on authorities to immediately solve Angeles case. Besides raising the reward money, he also asked police to check if the incident was caught by any of the CCTV cameras in the area. –Pat C. Santos,
Gina Peralta-Elorde, Mario J. Mallari, Danessa Rivera, Daily Tribune