2 broadcasters shot dead in Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines - Two broadcasters were gunned down by unidentified men on motorcycles in separate incidents in President Quirino town, Sultan Kudarat and in Molave town, Zamboanga del Sur.

Yesterday morning, two men on a motorcycle shot dead Leodoro Diaz, a volunteer reporter of station dxMY of the Radio Mindanao Network in Cotabato City and a columnist of Sapol tabloid published weekly in General Santos City.

Diaz was on his way to Tacurong City from his home in Barangay Katiku, President Quirino when two bikers overtook his vehicle, blocked his path and shot him with pistols, killing him on the spot.

Senior Supt. Raul Supiter, director of the Sultan Kudarat provincial police, said Diaz died from multiple gunshot wounds.

Benjie Caballero, a broadcaster based in Tacurong City, said Diaz was a hard-hitting columnist.

“We are urging the police to investigate his murder in broad daylight at a time when Mindanao is under martial law that prohibits non-military and police personnel from carrying guns outside of houses,” Caballero, a long time friend of Diaz, told The STAR.

In Molave town in Zamboanga del Sur, broadcaster Rudy Dahunan Alicaway was also shot dead by men on a motorcycle on Sunday.

Alicaway was a volunteer announcer of dxPB 106.9 FM, Radyo ng Bayan, an affiliate of state-run Radyo Pilipinas. He was also an incumbent village councilor.

Chief Supt. Billy Beltran, Police Regional Office 9 director, said Alicaway was shot at 1:15 p.m in Sitio Lopez, Barangay Culo.

Alicaway just finished his regular Sunday entertainment program ‘Tigmo-Tigmo’ (riddle) and was on his way home on his motorcycle when he was shot with a 9mm pistol by unidentified suspects riding in tandem.

Witnesses said Alicaway fell from his motorbike and crawled. But the suspects disembarked from their motorcycle, followed Alicaway and shot him again twice before they escaped toward Magsaysay Street.

Bystanders rushed Alicaway to Salug Valley Medical Center in Molave for treatment but he was declared dead on arrival.

“I pity the victim. Rudy was a good man and I have not heard him offend anybody on the radio because his program was purely entertainment and providing little prizes to his listeners,” said Rosello Navarro, manager of dxPB 106.9 FM.

The Philippine National Police-Task Force Usig is investigating the two killings.

Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco, executive director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS), said he had issued instructions  to police units with jurisdiction over the killings of Diaz and Alicaway.

“We are sending communications to both PNP and National Bureau of Investigation to investigate and to apprehend suspects as soon as possible,” Egco said. “Also, they are told to update PTFoMS regularly.”

One-strike policy against media killing

The PTFoMS also warned of the “one-strike policy” against concerned officials under whose jurisdiction  a journalist is killed.

“Article 1 or the One-Strike Policy provides the administrative relief or other punitive actions against Local PTFoMS Council members who shall fail to meet the full implementation of the strategic plan by reason of misfeasance, malfeasance, nonfeasance and other violations punishable under existing rules,” Egco said.

The Local PTFoMS Council is a body headed by the concerned provincial or city prosecutor as the chairman and PNP provincial/district/city director as co-chairman  with members from various government and media groups or agencies.

Press Secretary Martin Andanar, co-chair of the task force, instructed Egco to immediately act on the murder cases.

Egco called Supt. Eder Collantes of the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management to map out strategies on how to speed up the investigation of the two cases. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe