Trial of radioman’s murder case starts

After having been stalled for some time because of the change of the venue, the trial of the case against the accused in the murder of Aklan broadcast journalist Rolando Ureta finally started yesterday with the Regional Trial Court in Cebu as the new venue.

Ureta’s case is the third murder case involving journalists that was transferred by the Supreme Court to Cebu.

State prosecutor Peter Medalla said that the stable peace and order situation, credibility of the judges, and the proximity of Cebu to Aklan were their primary considerations in choosing Cebu as the new venue for the trial.

Regional state prosecutor Fernando Gubalane, who used to lead the prosecution in the other two murder cases involving journalists from Mindanao, said that they are hoping that this will be the third conviction.

“We are expecting a conviction of this case just like the two other cases,” Gubalane said.

Earlier, the Department of Justice was able to secure convictions against the accused in the murder of Tacurong City journalist Marlene Esperat and Pagadian City journalist Edgar Damalerio.

Just like the Ureta case, the Esperat and Damalerio cases were also transferred by the Supreme Court to Cebu because of the threats to witnesses.

Emily Ureta, wife of the slain journalist from Kalibo, Aklan, was presented yesterday during the first hearing of the case here.  Emily recalled that on November 2000 her husband started receiving death threats.

The threats allegedly stopped for a while, but resumed on January 1, 2001 until Rolando was killed on the evening of January 3 in Kalibo, right after his nightly program over dyKR.

Emily said that her husband was criticizing a Sangguniang Kabataan chairman involved in a shooting incident in their place prior to his killing.

RTC judge Sylvia Paderanga has set Emily’s cross-examination on May 26 because she was made to testify yesterday without the defense counsel; although Amador Raz, one of the two accused, was present during the hearing.

The other accused, Jessie Ticar, reportedly succumbed last Friday to complications of his tonsillitis.  — Fred P. Languido/MEEV