The Philippine National Police (PNP) has formed a special probe team to look into Thursday’s shooting incident in Quezon City that left eight people, including a photojournalist wounded.
Quezom City Mayor Joy Belmonte denounced the attack on Remate tabloid photojournalist Joshua Abiad in a broad daylight and called for a full investigation into the incident.
The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) also condemned the attack against a photojournalist and his family in Quezon City.
Meanwhile, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) joined the chorus of condemnations against the latest attack on members of the press.
In a statement, PNP Public Information Office (PIO) chief Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan said PNP chief General Benjamin Acorda Jr. has ordered the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and the Quezon City Police District to expedite the investigation and identify the suspects in the shooting of Abiad, a photojournalist of newspaper Remate.
Six of Abiad’s relatives and a bystander were also wounded in the incident.
“To ensure a thorough and efficient investigation, the Quezon City Police District created SITG (Special Investigation Task Group) which will meticulously gather evidence and testimonies. We are sparing no effort in our quest to gather substantial evidence and testimonies to shed light on this incident, ultimately leading to the immediate arrest of the perpetrators,” Maranan said.
He also said the PNP was collaborating with the victim’s family and colleagues in Remate newspaper to acquire any information to help in the investigation.
“We want to assure our media partners that the safety and security of those working in the media industry are of utmost importance to the PNP. In light of this unfortunate event, the PNP Media Vanguards will directly oversee the course of the investigation, ensuring transparency and accountability throughout the process,” Maranan said.
“We call upon the public to provide any information that may be crucial to solving this case and bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Together, we can create a society where media workers can work without fear and where acts of violence against them are unequivocally condemned,” he added.
QCPD chief Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III said aside from the photojournalist, also wounded in the attack were members of Abiad family, namely Renato Jr., Cheryl and Elizabeth, three minors aged 4, 6 and 8; and Jeffrey Ngo Cao, a bystander and resident of Barangay Apolonio Samson, Quezon City.
Initial reports showed the Abiad family was heading home on board their vehicle, driven by Renato, when they were ambushed by four gunmen at the corner of Corumi and Gazan streets in Barangay Masambong at around 3 p.m. on Thursday. A motorcycle rider was also seen serving as a lookout.
Torre said the attackers fled towards Del Monte Ave., Quezon City in a silver Toyota Vios car.
Despite his injury, Renato managed to drive to a nearby hospital for medical assistance.
The NCRPO Press Club, meanwhile, condemned the attack against Abiad, saying it was an “affront to press freedom.”
According to Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) chief, Executive Director Paul Gutierrez, Abiad was a witness of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and of the PNP on drug-related cases.
“On behalf of the entire Quezon City local government unit, the Quezon City Police Department, and all peace-loving QCitizens, I would like to express my outrage and condemnation of the shooting incident that happened today in Barangay Masambong,” Belmonte said in a statement.
“Although we are greatly relieved that the victim, photojournalist Joshua Abiad, has now been declared out of danger, this has not diminished our determination to bring his cowardly attackers to justice,” she added.
She said the city is not a place of violence and fear even among members of the media or on anyone else.
The mayor vowed to hold those behind the shooting incident liable.
“A full investigation is currently underway, and we are confident that more details will soon lead to rightful arrests,” she noted.
“The NCRPO strongly condemns the recent act of violence targeting one of our media partners and his family in Masambong, Quezon City. This heinous act is an attack not only on the individuals involved but also on the freedom of the press and the values we hold dear as a society,” said NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo.
Okubo said the NCRPO will spare no effort in conducting a thorough investigation to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
“We stand in solidarity with the media community and vow to protect their rights and ensure their safety,” he said.
The NCRPO chief urged the public to remain vigilant and report any information that may help in the investigation.
“Let us unite against these senseless acts and strive towards a safer and more secure Metro Manila for all. Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured victims as they recover from this traumatic incident. Together, we will overcome this challenge and continue to uphold the values of justice and democracy,” he said.
“While the motive for the attack is still unclear, we are hopeful that the recent convictions of accessories in the murder of Percy Lapid and the surrender of an alleged gunman in the Cris Bundoquin shooting mean quicker government action on attacks against the media,” the NU