Sketch of woman journalist’s killers released

The Philippine National Police (PNP) released yesterday artist’s sketches of two alleged assassins of the woman journalist killed in her home in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat on Maundy Thursday.

Investigators said witnesses, including the 10-year-old son of the victim, Marlene Garcia-Esperat, 45, a columnist of the Midland Review, provided the descriptions of the suspects. Esperat’s son was with his mom during the assassination.

PNP chief Director General Arturo Lomibao assured the victim's family and the public that progress is being made in the investigation of the killing.

"We have good leads but I don’t want to discuss it at this time as it might hamper the follow-up operations but we expect some results in the next few days," Lomibao said.

Police said the alleged gunman was about 25 to 27 years old and around 5‘4" to 5‘5" in height. On the other hand, the lookout was described as between 28 to 33 years old, 5‘2" to 5‘4", medium built and with fair complexion.

Lomibao said the newly formed Task Force Esperat under Chief Superintendent Antonio Billones, director of Police Regional 12 (Central Mindanao), has started pursuing leads which could help identify and arrest the killers and mastermind.

Esperat was shot once in the head by a lone gunman inside her house in Barangay New Isabela in Tacurong City on Maundy Thursday while having dinner with her son.

Meanwhile, a partylist representative said yesterday that Esperat had filed graft charges before the Office of the Ombudsman against local top officials of the Department of Agriculture before the killing.

In a statement sent to The STAR, Anakpawis party list Rep. Rafael Mariano said that "in July last year, Esperat filed graft charges before the Office of the Ombudsman against the DA officials for the alleged juggling of agricultural funds and overpricing of P432 million worth of fertilizers."

He said that Esperat used to be an employee of the Department of Agriculture until she resigned in 2004. She continued with her anti-corruption crusade in her columns in the Midland Review.

"She incurred the ire of some people because of this and was forced to request for police escorts," he added. — With Ding Cervantes