Former media practitioner shot dead in Sorsogon City

September 15, 2020

A former media practitioner was shot dead by unidentified suspects in Sorsogon City last Monday evening.

The Bicol region police said Jobert Bercasio, 39, was onboard his motorcycle when two men shot him near XTRM Seabreeze Homes Subdivision in Barangay Cabid-an, Sorsogon City around 7:55 pm.

Bercasio was shot four times.

According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), a special investigation task group was created to look into the incident.

According to the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS), based on the witnesses, the suspects came from Bolago and fled to the Diversion Road after the shooting.

The task force said while motive and identity of the suspects are yet to be determined, local media say the victim was no longer working for any mainstream radio station at the time of his death.

Reports show he also ran as vice mayor in his hometown but lost and it was only recently that Bercasio put up his own Facebook-based program that he managed himself.

PTFoMS Executive Director Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco denounced the killing and pointed out that the death of Bercasio has sounded alarm bells over the growing number of purely Facebook-based broadcast platforms being used by a lot of people.

Egco said he would ask the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) and other media organizations on how these “online news” outlets should be treated and how the practice is regulated by any existing group.

“It is important to know how they survive and how they really operate. There are certain privileges here that are lacking. First, the clear non-requirement of a franchise. Second, their business operations. We need to know how they could pay for their salaries and of their staff members if any,” he said.

“Any ‘guerilla’ type of broadcast operation is dangerous, as it would be vulnerable to all sorts of threats,” he added.

Meanwhile, PTFoMS co-chair and Presidential Communication Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar said the government strongly condemns the killing of Bercasio.

“We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the bereaved family of the victim,” Andanar said.

Egco said they are on top of the situation and is coordinating with all law-enforcement agencies to identify and arrest the suspects in the killing. Ella Dionisio/DMS