The Presidential Task Force on Media Security will probe the killing of Pilar, Capiz municipal administrator and veteran journalist John Heredia, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Monday.
Guevarra said he believes that since Heredia is a former journalist—the first and longest sitting chairman of the Capiz Chapter of the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines—his case is better handled by the PTFoMS.
“Considering that John Heredia was a journalist, I will refer his case to the Presidential Task Force on Media Security for investigation and case build-up,” the Justice chief said.
Heredia, 54, was about to board his vehicle after coming out from a hardware store at Barangay Lawa-an, Roxas City when he was repeatedly shot by the gunmen on Sunday.
The victim’s wife, lawyer Criselda Heredia, said her husband had previously received death threats.
In a statement, NUPL Panay said it condemned the shooting of Heredia and joined the victim’s family as they go through this difficult time.
“This is a monstrous crime that must be investigated promptly and properly so that the perpetrators can be brought to justice,” NUPL Panay said.
Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Duterte has directed the National Bureau of Investigationto investigate the killing of government consultant Mariano Antonio Cui III in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental last month.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the President condemns the killing of Cui, a consultant for the hospital operations of Negros Oriental and a former chief-of-staff of ex-Rep. Jules Ledesma.
Roque said the President tasked the NBI to investigate the killing.
San Carlos City deputy police chief Lt. Ruby Aurita said Cui was about to ride his car around 8 p.m. on April 12 when a gunman on board a van shot him in the chest.