Slain journalist's kin to visit her grave despite threats

MANILA, Philippines - Murdered Malabon City radio broadcaster Marlina Sumera’s husband and children will visit her grave for All Souls’ Day even if her killers are still at large.

“The suspects are just moving around freely for my wife’s case remains in a standstill. Lawmen has done nothing to bring the culprits to justice,” John Sumera told The STAR yesterday in a telephone interview.  

John said that he and their three children left their house on Silonian street in Barangay Maysilo a few days after Sumera was shot in the back of the head a few meters away from their house on March 24. She was on her way to work at the dzME radio station.

He said he and their three children will visit Sumera’s tomb at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Novaliches, Quezon City.

“They (suspects) could not stop us from visiting Len’s grave. They could get me if they want,” John said.

John said that he is slowly losing hope that his wife’s murder would be resolved the way the National Bureau of Investigation is handling the case.

“Even the national government promised to give priority to my wife’s case, her being a media personality, but more than seven months had gone and nobody was arrested,” John said.

He said that his wife could have “stepped on the toes” of powerful and influential people in their area. Sumera’s killing is only one of several unsolved murder cases in Malabon City, which sources said were carried out by paid assassins maintaining safehouses in the middle of a shantytown in Barangay Dampalit.