Malacañang on Saturday directed the Philippine National Police to “leave no stone unturned” in solving the recent murder of newspaper publisher Larry Que, who had written a column criticizing officials in Catanduanes province for their alleged negligence over an illegal drug factory.
The death of Que, the publisher and columnist of Catanduanes News Now, was the first of a mediaman under the Duterte administration.
“Immediately after we learned of the killing, we ordered a probe by the PNP. To leave no stone unturned, the PNP through its Task Force Usig is now investigating on the ground. They have sent their initial report and is continuously giving updates,” Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said in a statement.
Police will also check Que’s past political dealings for leads to his death, as he had ran for mayor of Virac town.
A gunman wearing a bonnet and raincoat shot Que in the head then fled on a motorcycle driven by an accomplice.
“Our position is that as a matter of policy, Task Force on Media Security will treat such case as work-related until final determination. We are digging into Mr. Larry S. Que’s background as a politician and a businessman because his paper is just two weeks old,” Medialdea added.
Que’s murder came after he wrote a column hitting local officials following the discovery of a shabu laboratory in Catanduanes. He criticized the local officials’ apparent negligence that allowed the construction on the island-province of a shabu laboratory that authorities claimed was the biggest discovered so far in the country.