SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — For the past four years, the killer of Jesus “Jess” Malabanan, a member of Pampanga Press Club, remain at-large as cops failed to arrest him for still unknown reasons.
Malabanan was shot to death by a certain Aries Solomon while resting at his mother’s house in Calbayog City, Samar last December 8, 2021. After the incident the suspect immediately fled leaving the victim dead with a bullet in his skull.
At the time of the shooting incident Malabanan was investigating a land dispute problem of several coconut farmers who sought his assistance. He was a correspondent for Reuters, Bandera and Manila Standard.
To this date, the alleged killer has not been arrested to stand trial despite appeals to the Philippine National Police and the Presidential Task Force on Media Security after the stint of its executive director Joel Sy Egco who helped fast-track the investigation.
The Pampanga Press Club repeats its demand for the PNP and PTFoMS to effect the arrest because these government agencies have valid legal basis to do just that.
Acting Presiding Judge Cicero Tuazon Lampasa of the Regional Trial Court Branch 32 in Calbayog City had issued an arrest warrant for the identified killer, Aries Salomon, dated March 28, 2022. Calbayog City Prosecutor Fidelito L. Marmol had found probable cause for murder in a resolution dated February 28, 2022.
Salomon’s evasion of arrest as well as non-arrest by authorities add to the pervasive truth of impunity on media violence and killings.
The PPC and the Malabanan family appeal to state agencies to use every power and resources at their disposal to bring the killer to justice. ( UnliNews Online)
