Police urged to search for missing journalist

LUCENA CITY—The National Union of Journalists (NUJP)-Quezon chapter has called on the Philippine National Police and other government agencies to immediately locate journalist-broadcaster Marlyn de Mesa, and her niece who have been missing since Sunday.

“For the peace of mind of their families, the authorities should exert all efforts to find Marlyn and her niece, and leave no stone unturned,” said Ronilo Dagos, NUJP-Quezon chapter chair, in a statement on Thursday.

De Mesa, 39, and her niece Vanesa Tabale, 23, were last seen aboard a white Isuzu D-Max pickup (PFO-290) which De Mesa owned. They were supposedly on their way to Max’s Restaurant in San Pablo City, according to Dagos, quoting Gemi Formaran, head of a group of reporters covering the military in Camp Nakar.

De Mesa, publisher of Quezon-based weekly Southern Tagalog Tribune and a block timer of 95.1 Kiss FM here, is a member of the Camp Nakar Press Corps.

Their families have been trying to reach the two through their mobile phones but both could not be contacted, the NUJP head said, quoting Formaran.

De Mesa is known among her colleagues as a ‘hard-hitting’ broadcaster-journalist.

De Mesa resides in Pabilao, Quezon, and also has a home in Calamba City, the NUJP said.

SPO4 Edwin de Mesa, of the San Pablo City police, confirmed that the broadcaster has been missing for the past five days, or since her disappearance was reported to the city police on Sunday.

He said, however, that police have no leads on the broadcaster’s whereabouts, nor any theories about her disappearance.