Kin of slain journalist ask why no raps filed vs killer
DIGOS CITY—Slain journalist Nestor Bedolido’s kin said they continued to wonder why the Department of Justice (DOJ) had not yet filed charges against the reported masterminds.
Marxlen Bedolido, the fallen journalist’s son, said the DOJ has been conducting preliminary investigation against Davao del Sur Gov. Douglas Cagas and Matanao town Mayor Vicente Fernandez but nothing much happened to it.
Cagas and Fernandez’s alleged involvement was contained in the affidavit that confessed gunman Voltaire Mirafuentes submitted to authorities shortly after his surrender.
Mirafuentes has since been placed under the government’s witness protection program.
Both officials denied any involvement in the Bedolido murder.
“The family could not understand why the masterminds are free,” Marxlen said.
He said the family had wanted the DOJ to speed up the arrest of the suspected brains because they had been positively identified by the confessed gunman.
Based on the case record, Bedolido had worked with Cagas before they had a falling out.
His lawyers got copies of the Digos Times, a weekly owned by Cagas, which showed Bedolido’s position as associate editor.
Bedolido then served as consultant for the weekly Kastigador and had supported the gubernatorial bid of former Davao del Sur Rep. Claude Bautista, Cagas’ political rival.
Bautista lost to Cagas in the last gubernatorial elections.
Mirafuentes said his involvement in the plot to kill Bedolido started with the ambush of his parents, who both worked for Cagas.
He said when Cagas learned he was planning to exact revenge, the governor allegedly told him the brains behind his parents’ ambush was Bedolido.
He said Cagas and Fernandez had instigated him to kill the former journalist and even provided him the firearm he used in killing Bedolido. Orlando B. Dinoy, Inquirer Mindanao
