Tacloban City—A court in Calbayog City in Samar has issued an arrest warrant for the suspect in the murder of Manila Standard correspondent Jesus “Jess” Malabanan on December 8, 2021.
Judge Cicero Lampasa of Branch 32 of the Regional Trial Court of Calbayog ordered the arrest of Aries Solomon of Barangay Bugtong, Calbayog, after the Prosecutor’s Office found probable cause against the suspect for the murder of the 58-year-old veteran journalist.
“Even with the looming change in administration, our government remains steadfast in its commitment to bring justice to all victims of media violence,” said Undersecretary Joel Egco, executive director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS), on Tuesday.
The PTFoMS executive director praised the Philippine National Police and the National Prosecution Office “who worked tirelessly” in investigating the killing of Malabanan.
The Police Regional Office-Eastern Visayas’ Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) “Malabanan” earlier discounted the case to be work-related and drug-related.
“Accordingly, the statements of witnesses having been interviewed by investigators can be analyzed that the biggest possible motive of the killing is personal grudge attributable to a land dispute,” the police regional command said in December 2021.
Malabanan, who also worked for Reuters, Bandera, and other news outfits, was shot dead while watching television inside their store in Tinambacan District, Calbayog, by motorcycle-riding gunmen.
