Another broadcaster is shot in southern Philippines

Broadcaster Nilo Labares, of Radio Mindanao Network, at a hospital in Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental province after unidentified gunmen shot him late Thursday, March 5, 2009 while he was heading for home. (Photo by Dante Sudaria)

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 6, 2009) – Unidentified gunmen shot and wounded a broadcaster in latest attack on journalists in the southern Philippines.

Motorcycle-riding gunmen shot Nilo Labares several times in the body late Thursday as he was heading for home in Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental province. Labares is a broadcaster for the Radio Mindanao Network.

Cagayan de Oro Vice Mayor Vicente Emano has ordered the police to take steps to deter further possible attacks on local journalists and given a shoot-to-kill order against the assailants.

“My policy is for them to shoot the suspects if they resist. No more allowing them to flee. Besides, this may start a killing spree against the media,” Emano told RMN’s dzXL radio.

No group or individual claimed responsibility for the attack, but police suspect it has something to do with Labares criticism of illegal gambling.

Cagayan de Oro journalists say Labares informed his colleagues at RMN that he had been receiving threats before the attack and, at one point, was approached by an emissary of a "powerful" personality who warned him to stop his tirades against “video carera” and even asked how much it would take him to do so.
RMN said Labares has been declared out of danger.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) has condemned the attack on Labares.

“Again, while we reiterate that we see no proof of any official policy of directly attacking journalists, we nevertheless lay the blame for this and previous assaults on our colleagues, too many of who have been silenced permanently, on the government, whose inaction and apathy, as well as its actual attempts to muzzle the media and curtail freedom of the press and expression, have nurtured the culture of impunity that emboldens those who wish to silence us,” the NUJP said in a statement.

President Gloria Arroyo's spokesman, Cerge Remonde, condemned the shooting and ordered the police to leave no stone unturned to ensure justice is done.Just last month, unidentified gunmen also killed broadcaster Ernie Rollin, of dxSY in Oroquieta City in Misamis Occidental province.

Political killings have long been a concern in the Philippines, where about 60 journalists have been slain since 2001, including six last year, making the country one of the world's most dangerous places for reporters.

Government prosecutors earlier this year filed murder charges against a police officer in the August 2008 killing of Dennis Cuesta, program director of Radio Mindanao Network in General Santos City. (Mindanao Examiner)