Case filed but not closed
It's been an hour since the police and the wife of the late Edmund Sestoso appeared before the prosecutor's office in Dumaguete City to file murder charges against two suspects. No specific names were produced yet but they are confident that the facial composite lifted from the testimonies of the eyewitnesses will bring forth the perpetrators. Lourdes, Edmund's wife, couldn't help but cry as she signed her letter of complaint. After the filing of the charges was over she broke down in front of the media, close friends of her husband.
It was my first time seeing her after the death of Edmund, the known radio commentator. I hugged her. It made me remember the many days we spent with her husband on field and the signature hug we do when we meet. I'm not usually always in Negros Oriental, so seeing my friends in the media is like seeing one another. The media says they are happy the case was filed, but they would have wanted more. After the case was filed, it does not guarantee the suspects will surface right away.
But my primary concern is the security for those in the Fourth Estate. It seems like if one mistake is done on air and print, it becomes easy for the enemy to pull the trigger and take one's life. The profession was crafted to be the watchdog of the government. If abuse is prevalent, then just like democracy, the concept of press freedom is also in its dying state. I pity those who plan to enter the industry at a young age for they will be faced with the harsh realities of this career. It would take a brave heart and a focused mind. This will be a new challenge to the millennial breed of journalists.
The case is not yet closed even if the perpetrators have been identified. As for practicing journalists, this is a wake-up call for the profession of how far our boundaries can go. Of course, there are ethics and rules to follow. If we go by them diligently, but are still abused because of our jobs, then this society is dirtier than I can ever imagine. We are fair, fearless, and balanced. I guess we deserve a pat on our backs for the prime information we give out despite the harsh competition of social media, let alone the presence of trolls.
I continue to pray that people in the legislative will see the light and make additional measures that would protect the members of the media. We are entitled to due process if ever one of us has done wrong to our sources, a bullet is not the answer for justice. The fight to the true essence of journalism is going to be bloody as I envision it to be. We will continue to inspire the youth to take this path provided that they be backed up by skills and knowledge on the reality of the world.