The Gunman

Hole of Justice

By Peter G. Jimenea

The gunman is a friend

Last March 20, 2012, while the issue of unsolved media killings was once again brought out on line and on the airwaves (courtesy of the controversial family feud in the city) Atty. Dwight Trasadas, a co-host of the block-time television program Kape kag Isyu, received an alarming text message from one claiming to be a televiewer.

It reads; “Halong kamo taga medya concern lng, c “Tawi” (full name withheld) gntransaction kagab I sang isa ka tawo may tirohon naman. Ara sa Kape kag Isyu.”  Be careful media people, just a concern “Tawi” (alleged gunman) was transacted by a person last night to carry out another shooting of one in Kape kag Isyu.  


After receiving the forwarded message, I cannot accept it hook-line and sinker due to the name of the alleged gunman whom I consider a friend. As I don’t have his number, I spread the news to all contacts in the city and province of Iloilo.


An hour later my cellular phone rang identifying my caller as a close friend of “Tawi” from Passi City. He said; “Sir, bal-an ko indi niya ina mahimo sa imo kag sa grupo mo.” (Sir, I know he can’t do it to you and your group). Our discussion, however, lasted only for about ten minutes.
 

About half an hour later, I got another caller but this time it is “Tawi.” who denied his involvement in the news and asks if I can forward the message to him plus the cell number of the sender. A few minutes later he called back angrily-saying that somebody is just dragging his name to the issue.

Right on that very evening, I received lot of callers likewise suspecting that “Tawi” was dragged into this mess to divert public attention from the controversial family feud of a clan which lady member is fingering her lawyer-cousin as mastermind of the few unsolved crimes in the city.

The televiewer who sent that alarming message to my co-host, Atty. Trasadas doesn’t have the faintest idea that I know “Tawi” more than he does. Beside which, a friendly-group in this island substantiated the claim of “Tawi” that he had already reformed and living peacefully now.

Anyway, we are too far from that. We observe journalism ethics and had never harassed the guests of our show.  As columnist in The Daily Guardian and other weekly newspapers like Journal Visayas and the WV Outlook, my work are strictly confined only to issues, no stepping over-the-line of pardonable behavior by intruding into private lives.

 

The same is true with the workings of a co-host, Atty. Pet Melliza who is also a TNT columnist. Here are the other harmless co-hosts of the program, baby-faced lawyer Dwight Trasadas, inventor Larry Locara, broadcaster Joel Estochi, publisher Neonita Gobuyan and Princess Diesto, a neophyte in the show.

The texter should know that it is only for him and the group he wants to protect that what he did is good. He could have easily diverted the controversy to ICPO Director, P/Supt. Marieto Valerio for poor police-performance, but sad to say, he inadvertently overlooked this.

He fingered the wrong person as the would-be gunman. Luckily the gunman understands what a true friend is. Here’s a simple message for that texter to remember. A true friend is the best thing you can have and the nice thing you can be. Now you know what true friends mean in a real sense of the world. I’m sure Alex Vidal subscribes to this!

Thanks for the hollow concern anyway, I hope media practitioners will appreciate it, or else, you’ll get the spanking you deserved for being stupid. Well, make your day in this column, you asked for it.  Unlike me and Dirty Harry who ask others to make our day!