Body of slain journalist brought back to Pampanga

SAD DAY Milagros Malabanan, the widow of slain Pampanga journalist Jesus “Jess” Malabanan, gazes at her husband’s remains, during the wake on Sunday in Bacolor, Pampanga, where he was brought days after he was killed in Calbayog City on Dec. 8. —PHOTO COURTESY OF PAMPANGA PRESS CLUB

BACOLOR, Pampanga, Philippines — The remains of journalist Jesus “Jess” Malabanan have been transferred to a chapel here on Sunday but the police have yet to provide updates in its investigation of his Dec. 8 murder in Calbayog City in Samar province.

The wake for Malabanan, a correspondent for Manila Standard, Bandera and international wire service Reuters, is being held at the village of Trinidad here. No details yet were provided by his family as to where or when he would be buried.

As of Sunday, the Special Investigation Task Group, led by the Samar provincial police, has not identified any suspects nor the motive for the attack on the journalist.

Malabanan delivered news reports from Pampanga province but often visited his ailing mother in Calbayog City.

His widow, Milagros, said he helped farmers in Calbayog settle a land dispute three years ago.

Recently, she said he was also sought by a driver who complained about being extorted with the promise of dropping a penalty for an unidentified offense.

He also contributed to the Reuters’ special report on the war on drugs of the Duterte administration, for which the news agency won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018.

Noel Tulabut, Pampanga Press Club president, appealed to authorities to find, arrest and put behind bars the suspect, who barged into Malabanan’s store as he was watching television and shot him at close range.

—TONETTE OREJAS