A Masbate court dismissed the murder charges filed against three local broadcasters accused of involvement in the 2022 killing of Virgil Arriesgado, which was allegedly staged by members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
In a decision dated August 30, Cataingan Regional Trial Court Branch 49 Judge Teofilo Tambago ruled that there was no probable cause to pursue the charges against Masbate-based media members Ramesis Sison, Benjamin Gigante, and Jay Alfaro.
The trio, associated with the Masbate Quad Media Society, Inc. (MQMSI), have been outspoken critics of alleged ghost infrastructure projects linked to the provincial government.
The case, filed by Masbate provincial prosecutor Jeremias Mapula, also implicated six other individuals. However, Judge Tambago pointed out inconsistencies in witness statements, leading to the case’s dismissal.
The broadcasters, alongside their co-accused, had been red-tagged and linked to the NPA, which complicated their legal situation. Despite this, the court found the evidence insufficient, marking a legal victory for the accused media practitioners.
A second murder case involving Gigante and Alfaro remains under review.
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