Justice Acting Secretary Agnes VST Devanadera exhorted the Philippine National Police (PNP) to implement the warrants of arrest against killers of media practitioners.

In her letter to the DILG, the Acting Secretary has requested Secretary Ronaldo Puno to direct the concerned units to vigorously serve the warrants of arrest on accused media killers. The PNP�s Task Force Tugis is to send investigating personnel from Manila to pursue all possible leads not only to indict all persons who are probably guilty of the crime but to ensure that they be tried, convicted and penalized in accordance with law.

Particularly, Devanadera referred to some media murder cases, where the accused remain at large despite standing warrants for their arrest, namely: Bert Sison - murder, RTC Lucena City, Marlene Esperat - murder, RTC Tacurong City, Jose Pantoja - frustrated murder, RTC Cagayan de Oro City, Arecio Padrigao - murder, RTC Gingoog City, and Roger Mariano - murder, Manila RTC.

�Knowing that without your vigorous support we would not be able to successfully prosecute media murder cases, we request you to use the resources of your office to find all the killers and masterminds and send a strong message to the public that the government values the lives of its citizens, including the journalists,� Devanadera emphasized.

In the same vein, she asked the NBI to join the PNP for the execution of the warrants against the accused, and also ordered the Bureau to submit report of their effort or coordination with the police in tracking down the killers.

Devanadera made the move following a letter furnished to the Department by Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists Board of Trustees(FFFJ) Chair Jose Pavia. The group wants PNP Chief Jesus Verzosa pressing not only for the preventive suspension but also for the immediate execution of the warrant of arrest against Police Insp. Redemptor �Boy� Acharon, who was charged for the murder of broadcast journalist, Dennis Cuesta last August 4, 2008. The accused was nowhere to be found after the Gen.Santos RTC issued a warrant for his arrest on February 3, 2009. Reports had it that although the accused policeman was seen in several places in Gen San, the local police seem to have exerted no effort to take him into custody as the accused is a cousin of a local executive.

�While law enforcers are granted wide latitude of discretion in the discharge of their functions, the same should not be allowed to spill over what is clearly improper and even indecent because it creates an impression that PNP officials by their apathy are licensed to make a mockery of justice,� the FFFJ chair said in the letter.

He added that the unremitting visibility of Acharon �strongly confirms the extent of accused�s influence over his PNP colleagues and superiors in General Santos City and even in Region 12 which in turn promotes the culture of impunity attributable to the indifference, inaction and incompetence of executive and judicial authorities.�