Grudge eyed in Gen San editor’s slay

GENERAL SANTOS CITY—Police are looking at a personal grudge as the motive behind Friday’s ambush of Tatak publisher and editor in chief Christopher Guarin.

Chief Supt. Benjardi Mantele, chief of the Central Mindanao police, said this was based on the results of an initial investigation that the local police conducted.

It came out that the motive was personal, he said, without elaborating.

But Mantele said the investigation was continuing.

Guarin, 41, was driving home with his wife and 9-year-old daughter when he was shot by two unidentified men riding tandem on a motorcycle.

He jumped out of his car after the first shot was fired to protect his wife and daughter. He tried to run away but the gunmen gave chase and pumped more bullets into him.

Based on the findings of scene of the crime operatives (Soco), Guarin died after sustaining five gunshot wounds.

“He sustained an injury on his neck, two on his body, one in the arm and one in the thigh. We also recovered three spent shells and a slug of a .45-cal. pistol,” the Soco report said.

Guarin’s wife, Lyn, suffered a superficial wound while their daughter was unhurt but in a state of shock.

‘Give us time’

“We are determined to solve the incident. Just give us time,” Mantele said during a dialogue with journalists here Friday.

He said a task force had been formed to go after Guarin’s killers.

“This is under my direct supervision but the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in the region serves as the lead agency,” Mantele said.

In a statement, journalists here expressed alarm and were appalled by the brazenness of the attack that further reinforced the prevailing culture of impunity.

They said the police should not concentrate only on the Guarin killing but also on similar attacks in the past.

Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio said the immediate help the city government could extend was to facilitate the issuance of permits to carry (PTC) firearms to journalists here.

“I’m going to help them secure PTC from Camp Crame,” she said.

Only for self-defense

Custodio said she would personally shoulder the cost of the PTCs that would be granted to qualified journalists here.

Isaias Golez Jr., president of the Central Mindanao Police Press Corps, welcomed the mayor’s initiative, saying it would help protect journalists.

But Edwin Espejo, chair of the local chapter of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), said arming journalists was not the solution.

Espejo said prosecuting the killers was the best way to address killings.

A Malacañang official said on Saturday the police had been arresting suspects and filing cases in connection with the killing of journalists.

Undersecretary Abigail Valte, deputy presidential spokesperson, said the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Philippine National Police had always acted swiftly on attacks against members of the media.

“The suspects aren’t just arrested but cases are filed. The prosecution of the case proceeds,” Valte said over state-run radio dzRB. With a report from Norman Bordadora