Sorsogon gov to cops: Hasten probe on journalist slay

LEGAZPI CITY—Sorsogon Gov. Francis “Chiz” Escudero took the provincial police to task for its failure to find any clue that could solve the killing of online journalist Jobert Bercasio in Sorsogon City last month.

Escudero said he was dismayed that up to this time, the police would just say that the investigation was “still ongoing” and could not identify any suspect.

“My directive [to the provincial police] was to look into the real motive of the killing, whether it was personal or media-related,” he said on Wednesday.

Escudero said he was hoping that the case would move with the recent assignment of Police Col. Arturo Brual Jr. to Sorsogon police director, replacing Police Col. Roque Bausa.

Bercasio was on his way home on a motorcycle on the night of Sept. 14 when he was attacked by two gunmen on a motorcycle.

Bercasio, a former radio reporter in Legazpi City, had been running his own news and commentary program on Facebook. —MAR ARGUELLES