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)

Muslim preacher killed in South RP

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 22, 2009) – An unidentified gunman shot dead a Muslim preacher who was also a radio broadcaster in an attack in the restive region of Mindanao in the southern Philippines, police said on Thursday.

Police said Ustadz Badrodin Abbas, who held a block time radio program over dxCM in Cotabato City, was shot twice in the head at around 9 p.m. Wednesday along Sinsuat Avenue.

Abbas, 38, was driving his mini-jeep when a passenger shot him from behind and escaped after the attack, said Senior Supt. Willie Dangane, chief of police force in Cotabato City.

He said a security camera was able to take footage of the crime.

“We are still investigating this case,” Dangane said, adding, the attacker could have mistaken Abbas for his brother, who regularly drives the jeep.

“This could be a case of mistaken identity. Abbas’ brother is the one usually who drives the jeep. We have reports that his brother is involved in a love triangle,” Dangane said without further elaborating.

Last month, gunmen also murdered Leo Luna Mila, 35, of Radyo Natin in San Roque town in the central Philippine province of Samar. Abbas was the 63rd journalist killed since President Gloria Arroyo came to power in 2001, according to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.

The World Association of Newspapers said the Philippines is second to Iraq as the most dangerous place for journalists in the world. (Mindanao Examiner)

Filipino Brodcaster Fall Victim To Cell Phone Thieves

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 24, 2008) – A Filipino broadcaster himself, became the news, after he reported here that two men who sought his help, stole his cell phones right inside the radio station.

Dennis Lazo, of the Bombo Radyo, told the police that his cell phones were stolen by the duo, who went to the station late Monday to ask for money so they can go back home in Cagayan de Oro City.

Lazo said he discovered his cell phones missing on Tuesday after the two left the radio station. The phones, he said, were inside his drawer. (Romy Bwaga)

Arroyo Visits Wake Of Tiya Dely

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 7, 2008) - President Gloria Arroyo visited the wake of Philippine broadcaster icon Fidela "Tiya Dely" Magpayo at the Loyola Memorial Chapel in Marikina City.

Arroyo stayed for 30 minutes during Saturday's visit and spoke with Magpayo's daughters and other family members.

Tiya Dely, 87, was at her radio booth at dzRH when she suffered a stroke last week and died later at a hospital. She had maintained a full schedule at the radio station, hosting a nightly show, “Ang Inyong Tiya Dely,” apart from the weekend program.

Her career in the broadcast media started when she was about 18. She joined the group of radio comedians Andoy Balunbalunan and Dely Atay-atayan as a singer.
Tiya Dely got her first counseling program at dzRH in October 1953. She later transferred to dzMM, and was the last radio host heard on air before the Lopez-owned station was padlocked by the Marcos regime. She later resumed her career on radio at dzRH.

Aside from being a radio personality, Tiya Dely also acted in movies produced by Sampaguita Pictures, LVN and Larry Santiago Productions. Among her films were "Basahang Ginto" and "Hinihintay Kita."

She was also a singer, recording songs like "Pamaypay ng Maynila," "Sa Ilalim ng Ilang-Ilang," "Pandanggo ni Neneng" and "Nabasag ang Banga."

After World War II, she supported the presidential campaign of the late President Manuel Roxas. When he won, Roxas appointed Tiya Dely as confidential secretary of then Vice President Elpidio Quirino.

She took up foreign service at the Far Eastern University but later shifted to political science. She graduated in 1950. Tiya Dely was married to the late Colonel Leonor Reyes, who fought in Bataan and Korea. They had two daughters, Violeta and Delia, and a son, Leonor Jr.

Among the awards she received for her contributions to the Philippine broadcast industry are the Pama-As Gintong Bai award from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Gawad Plaridel from the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas. She was about to receive an award from the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino when she suffered a stroke.

Broadcaster Shot In Mindanao

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 4, 2008) – An unidentified gunman shot and seriously wounded a broadcaster in an attack in the southern Philippines, the Radio Mindanao Network said Monday.

It said one of its radio presenter, Dennis Cuesta, was shot and that police is still investigating the attack. RMN said Cuesta was shot in the head.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said a journalist, Bert Sison, was killed in an attack on June 30 in Quezon province. Sison was driving home with two of his daughters when two men on a motorcycle opened fire on his vehicle.

Sison was writing for Regional Bulletin, a Quezon-based weekly, and host of the weekly Harana (Serenade) program on radio dzAT-AM in Lucena City. (Mindanao Examiner)