PTFoMS looking into 'land row' in Malabanan slay —Palace exec

The Presidential Task Force on Media Security on Saturday said it is looking into whether journalist Jess Malabanan was involved in a land dispute that might have led to his murder in Samar.

"In fact, gusto na niyang mag-retire rito, at umuwi sa Samar dahil gusto na niyang mag-farming. Isa po 'yun sa tinitingnan natin, itong kaniyang panibagong career, ika nga," said PTFoMS executive director Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco at the Laging Handa briefing.

(He wanted to retire [from being a journalist] and go home to Samar because he wanted to do farming. That's one of the things we're looking at, his new career.)

"Sinisilip po natin 'yang mga usaping lupa, baka may nakaaway siya roon. At doon po tayo nakasentro ngayon, doon sa lugar kung saan siya pinaslang," Egco added.

(We are looking at possible land issues, perhaps he had a confrontation there. We are focused now on the place where he was killed.)

Based on his initial inquiry, Egco said that Malabanan was not criticizing any personality in his publication Manila Standard, and was only publishing "feel good" stories.

Meanwhile, Egco dismissed some claims that media personnel or journalists are being targeted for their reporting.

"Doon po sa mga nagsasabi na 'Wow ang media sa Pilipinas ay pinapatay,' huwag po kayong basta-basta maniwala. In most cases incidental po talaga na sila ay media at may iba silang nasagasaan o personal na nakagalit," he said.

(Do not immediately believe those saying that 'Media personnel in the Philippines are being killed.' In most cases it was incidental that they work for the media and they are affecting other people or getting involved in personal grudges.)

"No exception if you are an engineer, or if you have other professions and you have personal dealings. Don't believe in the propaganda that journalists are really being directly targeted here for being journalists. There is an ocean of reasons, regardless of motive," he added.

However, according to Egco, the problem of media killings in the country is also directly related to the geopolitical environment of the area of their designation. He cited the example of the Maguindanao massacre, where 32 members of the media who accompanied Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu's camp to cover the candidacy filing were killed in 2009.

"Huwag po kayong magpapagamit kahit kanino (Do not allow yourselves to be used by other people)," Egco advised media employees as Eleksyon 2022 nears.

Malabanan worked with news organization Reuters in reporting the drug war killings under the Duterte administration, a reporting that earned a Pulitzer Prize award in 2018.

Malabanan was shot in the head by unidentified gunmen in Calbayog City on Wednesday night while watching television and tending a family store.

The Samar Police Provincial Office (PPO) said it would create a special investigation task group to probe the killing of Malabanan. —LBG/KG, GMA News