By ARTHA KIRA PAREDES
MEMBERS of a journalist group in Abra are seeking justice for the recent killing of their colleague Cirilo Gallardo, who was stabbed dead in Bangued.
The Journalists and Correspondents Club of Abra (JACCA), in a one-page statement, called on authorities to give justice to the “brutal and inhumane” killing of the 38-year-old Gallardo.
“Aming hiling, nawa mabigyan katarungan ang pagpaslang kay Gio Rabbit (Gallardo’s DJ name) at mahinto na ang mga karumaldumal na krimen na nangyayari sa lalawigan ng Abra (Our demand is to get justice for the killing of Gallardo and a stop to the heinous crimes happening in the province of Abra),” JACCA said in its statement written in Filipino.
Police found Gallardo’s decomposing body with 13 stab wounds at 7 a.m. on Monday at the diocesan house for priests near the Abra Community Broadcasting Corp. transmitter site in Barangay Bangbangar. Gallardo was from Velasco, Tayum but resided in Bangbangar, which was nearer his work place.
Gallardo was an announcer and a disc jockey at the AM and FM stations, respectively, of the diocese-owned DZPA Puso ti Abra (Heart of Abra). He also served as patroller for the AM station on special occasions, such as elections and other big events, and delivered top-of-the-hour news for Spirit FM.
Sir Ciril or Tootz Cyril, as he was called by friends and acquaintances, was also an elementary teacher at the Divine Word College of Bangued and the election committee chairman of the Abra Diocesan Teachers and Employees Multipurpose Cooperative.
According to a police report, Gallardo was last seen alive on Jan. 29 and that police are now looking for the male friend who visited him frequently.
The report said Gallardo’s room was “ransacked” and some of the missing items were his desktop and laptop computers. It also said, “(The) motive of the killing is believed to be robbery.”
JACCA called on everyone to tie “red and black” ribbons on vehicles to show oneness in the pursuit of justice for Gallardo and other victims of heinous crimes in the province. Formed last December, JACCA has members from the FM and AM stations of DZPA, Abra Today, Hot FM, Abra Bulletin, Baguio Chronicle, Tirad Pass and the Philippine Information Agency.
In a separate statement, Fr. Carmelo Gonzales, communications director of the diocese, condemned the killing of Gallardo and those of other persons in the province as showing “no respect for the law and God. “
Gonzales also asked that law enforcers ensure the fast resolution of the case.
Before Gallardo’s death, unidentified men fired at the DZPA building at Rizal and Zamora Streets, Zone 6 in Bangued in June 2009 and December 2010. In May 2009, gunmen also fired at the house of Abra Today reporter Marjorie Bandayrel-Trinidad, prompting her to resign and look for a job abroad.