By AARON RECUENCO, With report from Camcer Imam
Slain broadcast journalist Chris Lozada had written Malacanang complaining of death threats he had been getting from dismissed Bislig City Mayor Librado Navarro.
This was confirmed yesterday by Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco, executive director of Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS).
After receiving the letter, Egco said they offered Lozada security but the 29-year-old radio anchor declined.
Egco said Lozada said that he had already filed a complaint and merely wanted the incident to be documented in order for the Task Force to run after the mayor in case something happens to him, according to Egco.
On Tuesday night, Lozada was shot dead while driving home by unidentified gunmen aboard a gray van with no plate number. The nighttime ambush also injured his girlfriend, Honey Faith Indog, who was a passenger.
Egco said Lozada wrote of the alleged death threats through text messages from Navarro over the case that he filed against the mayor before the Office of the Ombudsman.
In his letter, Lozada said Navarro told him ‘to leave Bislig City if you do not want to die’ and that they would step down together, Navarro as mayor and Lozada to the cemetery.
“He (Lozada) suspected that Navarro wanted him killed because the Office of the Ombudsman ordered his removal as mayor based on the complaint that he filed,” said Egco.
Lozada hosted a program at the Prime Time Radio based in Bislig City.
Following the complaint, Egco said they sent a letter to Navarro warning him to stop harassing the journalist and not to harm him.
“The red flag warning against Mayor Navarro was in response to the complaint of Lozada. But Lozada was killed even before the letter reached the Mayor,” said Egco.
The letter from the PTFoMS was dated Oct. 18 and addressed to Navarro.
Egco said that prior to his death, Lozada went to the local office of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to press for the implementation of the dismissal order of the Ombudsman.
“He even posted on the social media his visit to the DILG. Sources said this triggered the ambush,” said Egco.
Egco said that the PTFoMS will build a case against Mayor Navarro.
“Our staff to whom Lozada personally relayed the threats made by Navarro will execute the necessary affidavits to help identify the mastermind in the killing,” said Egco.
“We will take active participation in the filing of the case against the perpetrators of this ambush, furnishing the police and prosecutors all the documentary evidence that we have collated,” he added.
Meanwhile, Navarro denied that he is behind Lozada’s death.
Navarro said he is innocent and even condemned the ambush.
However, he admitted to filing three counts of libel against Lozada in 2012 in relation to the work-related and personal criticisms the radio commentator hurled at him on-air. The case is pending in court.
“I can hold my head up high and say I am innocent and my conscience is clear,” said Navarro in an interview in Cagayan de Oro.
Navarro was attending the three-day 14th National Organic Agriculture Congress (NOAC) which ended yesterday.
The mayor is the executive vice president of the League of Organic Agriculture of Municipalities and Cities of the Philippines.
“He is like a son to me,” Navarro said of the slain mediaman whom he claimed as “very close” to him, adding his mother is related to the Lozadas and even supportive of his political career.
He said: “I am open to any investigation and I will face in court anybody who’s interested to file (case against me),” he added.
Once he gets back to Bislig, Navarro said he will look into Lozada’s killing and will order “a fair and proper investigation of the case.”