Radio journalist killed in southern Philippines
MANILA - A local radio broadcaster was gunned down in the southern Philippines on July 21, a presidential task force said, adding to the growing list of media workers killed in a country ranked among the most dangerous in the world for journalists.
Mr Erwin Labitad Segovia, 63, a broadcaster for Radio WOW FM and host of a programme that focused on social issues and local governance, was shot dead by a still unidentified gunman while on his way home shortly after completing his morning broadcast.
According to the police, Mr Segovia was followed by two suspects on a motorcycle.
The Philippines ranked ninth on the 2024 Committee to Protect Journalists' Global Impunity Index, which tracks countries where journalist murders remain unsolved.
Authorities have launched an investigation and have activated a Special Investigation Task Group to handle the case, said Mr Jose Torres Jr., executive director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security, in a statement.
"The safety of journalists remains a priority for the government, and justice for victims of media-related violence continues to be a national concern," Mr Torres said.
Mr Segovia's murder highlights the
continuing risks faced by journalists in the Philippines , especially in provinces where local power dynamics often go unchecked.
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More than 200 journalists have been killed in the country since democracy was restored in 1986, according to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, including 32 in a single incident in 2009 in the south of the country. REUTERS
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