Journalist Marlene Esperat was just 45 when she died, killed by a single bullet to the forehead by a gunman who casually walked into her home and shot her in front of her children.
While Esperat’s killer and his accomplices have been tried and sentenced, the masterminds behind the murder, two high level officials in the Philippine government’s Department of Agriculture, have yet to be brought to justice.
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE), a reporters’ rights watchdog group based in Toronto, has written to the Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines calling for an independent trial for Osmeña Montañer and Estrella Sabay.
“CJFE is extremely concerned by statistics that show that none of those who ordered the murders of 76 journalists since 1986 in the Philippines have been successfully prosecuted. We urge your government to ensure an independent trial to see that justice is finally done in this case,” wrote Arnold Amber, president of CJFE.
Esperat was dubbed the “Erin Brockovitch of the Philippines” by the Philippine Centre for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), not only because she tirelessly exposed numerous cases of graft and corrupt practices by government officials but for her daring attire of mini-skirts, stiletto heels and tight dresses with low-cut necklines.
