Shocked and angry, Rallos’ colleagues cry for justice

VETERAN broadcast journalists in Cebu condemned the killing of former radioman turned officer of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) Baby Earl Rallos while appealing to authorities for an immediate action on his murder.

Tri-media personality and Rallos’ former boss at radio dySS Bobby Nalzaro said he was shocked when he learned about the incident.

“I did not expect this to happen. I called on investigators to conduct a thorough probe to arrest the perpetrators,” he told Cebu Daily News in Cebuano.

Nalzaro described Rallos as a “hardworking and good” broadcaster who knew the job very well.

Although Rallos was no longer in the media, Nalzaro said he always reminded his former ward every time they met to shun any irregularities in the PDEA-7 and to continue doing his job well.

Rallos, the assistant operations officer of PDEA-7, was driving his car when a still unidentified assailant sprayed his vehicle with bullets along Villalon Street in Barangay Capitol Site, Cebu City past 5 p.m. last Friday.

He managed to step out of his gray Toyota Altis car but was shot on the head by the gunman.

Investigators were looking at illegal drugs and work-related issues as the possible motives behind the killing.

Three packs of suspected shabu was found inside a brown envelope at the glove compartment of Rallos’ car.

Veteran broadcaster Lloyd Suarez and Rallos’ colleague in dySS said he could not believe insinuations that Rallos was involved in the illegal drugs trade.

“Dili ko motuo nga si Earl magyabag-yabag sa iyang trabaho. (I don’t believe claims that Earl engaged in illegal activities),” he said in a phone interview.

“Nasubo mi pag-ayo sa nahitabo ni Earl. (We are deeply saddened with what happened to Earl),” he added.

Roger Vallena, news editor of SunStar Superbalita and Rallos’ close friend, appealed to authorities to put the perpetrators behind bars.

“Like any other crime, the police must solve it. I’m hoping that this will not be added to the statistics of unsolved crimes,” he said.

Fr. Roberto “Bobby” Ebisa, SVD, chairman of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) Cebu Chapter, denounced the recent spate of killings, the latest of which was Rallos’ murder.

“We need to do something as a community in the wake of these rampant and senseless killing happening in our midst. It is said when bad men combine, good men must organize,” he said in a statement.

“We denounce the spate of killings happening in our city. We appeal to authorities to look into this glaring and disturbing reality with utmost care and immediate attention. We don’t want to be tagged as a the murder capital of Asia,” he added./With Correspondent Benjie B. Talisic