NBI probes slay of ex-journalist, brother

PR AGENT DOWN Former journalist-turned-press agent Michael Marasigan was on board this car when two men on a motorcycle fired at least 34 shots at them in San Juan City on Thursday.
Marasigan and his brother, Cristopher, were killed in the attack.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate the murders of a former newsman and his brother in a San Juan City gun attack.

Aguirre signed on Friday Department Order No. 515, which directs the NBI to conduct investigation and case build-up on the deaths of former journalist, Michael “Mike” Marasigan, and his businessman brother, Christopher.

Two still unidentified men onboard a motorcycle gunned down the Marasigan brothers on V. Cruz Street, San Juan City early Thursday evening.

READ: Ex-Business World journalist, brother killed in San Juan City attack

Marasigan was a former editor of BusinessWorld and an independent video producer at Living Asia Channel. After leaving journalism, he went on to pursue a career in public relations, where he became a well-known communications consultant. His clients included the Department of Finance.

Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco, executive director of Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS), said the agency will closely coordinate with the DOJ and other investigating agencies to resolve the murders.

“We have instructed [Eastern Police District director Chief Supt. Romulo] Sapitula as our focal person to push hard and to leave no stone unturned and to give us regular updates,” Egco said in a text message to INQUIRER.net.

Marasigan’s death may be related to his previous work as a journalist, Egco said.

“We presume, baka (maybe it was) previous work-related. That’s our policy [to investigate],” the undersecretary said when asked if PTFoMS considered Marasigan’s death as another case of media killing.

“Tututukan natin hanggang matapos ito [We’ll focus on this until it gets resolved].”

PTFoMS will also provide security to the family if needed, Egco said.

Friends and colleagues of Marasigan expressed shock and dismay over his untimely death, saying that the victim had “no known enemies” and was “well-liked.”

READ: Friends, colleagues of slain ex-journalist express shock, dismay

His colleagues at the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP) described him as an “amiable” and “kind-hearted” man, so it was a puzzle to them why he was violently killed.

“Their violent murders aren’t just signs of the times but an indictment of the security situation in the country,” EJAP said in a statement. IDL