So near, yet so far:
The Marlene Esperat Story

IN ITS third installment of the Media Killings Series of documentaries on the murder of journalists, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism tackles the case of Sultan Kudarat journalist Marlene Esperat, also known as the Philippines’ Erin Brockovich.

Marlene was a radio and newspaper journalist based in Central Mindanao who was responsible for one of the most explosive exposes against the Arroyo administration – the fertilizer fund scam of 2004. A year later, Marlene was shot dead in her own home.

What followed was both a victory and a tragedy for justice. Marlene’s killers were sent to jail, yet the alleged masterminds who were identified by the gunmen have still not been brought to court. Using the tortuous Philippine legal system, the alleged masterminds have successfully blocked all efforts to bring them to court for the last five years. Marlene’s case is the first media murder case where the masterminds were positively identified by the gunmen, yet justice remains so elusive until now.

Watch the documetnary here: