Manila: A 75-year-old journalist was shot to death on Saturday evening in the province of Kalinga in northern Philippines, the first recorded slaying involving a media practitioner under the new government of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.
Jose Dagio, a reporter and commentator for Radyo Natin Tabuk , a community radio station, was having dinner in his house in Tuga village when an assailant shot him at around 8pm.
Dagio was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Dagio also writes a column for a community newspaper.
The attack came almost two months after radio presenter Jerome Tabanganay was wounded after getting shot in front of a state-run radio station in the same province.
Dagio's death comes barely a month after three journalists were killed in separate incidents. Radio journalist Desiderio Camangyan was shot dead last June 14 by a lone gunman while he was hosting a village singing contest in Mindanao. Less than 24 hours later, radio commentator Lito Agustin was ambushed while on his way home. On June 19, Davao del Sur-based reporter Nestor Bedolido was also gunned down.
Earlier, various local and international journalist organisations stressed the need for the government to take steps to stop the killing of media workers such as reporters and commentators.
Steps needed
In an interview with cable channel ANC prior to the latest media slaying, Nonoy Espina of the National Union of Journalist of the Philippines, said authorities should once and for all find solutions to prevent media killings.
"The government should end this culture of impunity. Make sure the warlords and their private armies are dismantled," Espina said.
Dagio is the 140th journalists killed since the late President Corazon Aquino took power in 1986. There were 102 recorded deaths under the government of Gloria Arroyo.
The worst case of media killing was the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao in November 2009 of which 30 were journalists.
