Two suspects in slay attempt against radio broadcaster surrender
CMFR/PHILIPPINES – Two suspects in the slay attempt against a Cagayan de Oro City-based radio broadcaster surrendered to the local police on 9 March 2009. But both denied involvement in the slay attempt.
A gunman riding tandem on a motorcycle shot radio broadcaster Nilo Labares in the back at around 8 p.m. (local time) on 5 March 2009 at Macasandig village in Cagayan de Oro City. Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental is approximately 789 kms from Manila. The attack happened a few meters from his house.
Task Force Labares head Col. Bernard Mendoza of the Philippine National Police told the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) in a phone interview that two of the four suspects voluntarily turned themselves in before the City Police Director in the morning of 9 March 2009.
The two allegedly found out that they had been named by Labares in his 7 March 2009 sworn statement. They were accompanied by their lawyer. Mendoza refused to name the suspects.
Mendoza told CMFR in a 6 March 2009 phone interview that at least four men onboard two motorcycles—a red and a blue Honda XRM-type motorcycles—followed Labares on his way home from the radio station. Labares was on his scooter.
DxCC-Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) news manager Rey Maraunay told CMFR last 6 March 2009 that Labares went home at around 7:30 p.m. (local time) after he finished recording news reports for dxCC’s morning news program. Labares is dxCC’s chief of reporters as well as an anchor for its news and public affairs program “dxCC Express” which is aired from 4:30 p.m.– 7 p.m
According to witnesses, Mendoza said, the red motorcycle overtook Labares and blocked the road while the man riding behind the driver of the blue motorcycle shot Labares. Labares fell on the left side of the road.
Mendoza said the assailants made a turn to check on Labares. Labares pretended he was pulling out a gun, and the men backed off. He then ran towards a carwash station. The motorcycle- riding men tried to go after him but changed their minds after seeing many bystanders.
Labares was rushed to Maria Reyna Hospital. Doctors at the hospital declared him out of danger after they had removed one of Labares’ kidneys, the online news site Bulatlat reported. Maraunay told CMFR that the bullet nearly hit Labares’s stomach and damaged his kidney and liver.
The police and the local office of the National Bureau of Investigation will file their joint investigation report before the Office of the City Prosecutor on 9 March 2009, Mendoza said.
DxCC’s Maraunay said they suspect the attack was linked to Labares’s reports on illegal gambling activities such as video karera and cockfighting in Cagayan de Oro. Video karera (literally, video race) is an illegal virtual horse-race betting game in the Philippines. Labares had been receiving death threats on his mobile phone for almost two weeks. He reported these to the police.
“He might have earned the ire of the owners of the video karera stations,” Maraunay said.
Lawyer Reggie Jularbal, counsel of the Kapisanan ng mga Broadkaster ng Pilipinas (Association of Broadcasters of the Philippines) told GMANews.TV that KBP is coordinating with Task Force 211 chief Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor on this matter. TF 211 is a Department of Justice task force charged with investigating the killing of political activists and journalists.
In 2007, two RMN radio broadcasters—Dennis Cuesta and Martin Roxas—were killed in the line of duty. Cuesta of dxMD–RMN in General Santos City died on 9 August 2008, five days after being shot along a national highway. Martin Roxas of dyVR–RMN Roxas City was killed on his way home from the radio station on 7 August 2008. Both Cuesta and Roxas were known for discussing alleged illegal activities in their provinces.
Seventy-eight journalists/media practitioners have been killed in the line of duty since 1986. Ernie Rollin, also a radio broadcaster, was killed by an unidentified gunman on his way to work on 23 February 2009 in Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental. Rollin was the first journalist/media practitioner killed in the line of duty this year.
[…] Labares, chief of reporters and anchor for DxCC-Radio Mindanao Network (RMN), survived a March 5, 2009, attack by a gunman riding tandem on a motorcycle in Cagayan de Oro City. Before the attack, Labares had received death threats on his mobile phone. He has been reporting on illegal gambling activities in the province such as video karera and cockfighting. (See: Two suspects in slay attempt against radio broadcaster surrender) […]
[…] has been attacked. On 5 March 2009, a gunman riding tandem on a motorcycle shot radio broadcaster Nilo Labares in the back at around 8 p.m. (local time) in Macasandig village, Â Cagayan de Oro City. Labares had […]
[…] Labares, chief of reporters and anchor for DxCC-Radio Mindanao Network (RMN), survived a March 5, 2009, attack by a gunman riding tandem on a motorcycle in Cagayan de Oro City. Before the attack, Labares had received death threats on his mobile phone. He has been reporting on illegal gambling activities in the province such as video karera and cockfighting. (See: Two suspects in slay attempt against radio broadcaster surrender) […]