3rd media man killed in Bicol

In an apparent ambush, a radio broadcaster was killed by still unidentified gunmen in Legazpi City, Albay, Friday morning.

The victim was identified as Joey Llana, 38, a blocktimer in radio dwZR in Albay.

According to initial reports from the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), Llana left his home in Barangay Peñafrancia, Daraga town at about 4:45 a.m. and was on his way to host his program “Metro Banat” when was waylaid by the assailants.

Llana, 41, was shot 14 times in front of his home in Purok 5, Barangay Peñafrancia.

The gunmen used calibers .45 and 9mm handguns, according to an NUJP statement citing local radio reports.

Police investigation is ongoing for the motive of the crime and the identities of the assailants.

The hard-hitting radio broadcaster had a premonition of his ambush before he was shot dead, his co-worker said.

“Bro, maybe we won’t be seeing each other anymore,” Erasto “Bing” Alerta quoted Llana as telling him on Thursday when they saw each other in the radio show.

It proved to be Joey’s last words to Alerta.

The victim never mentioned names of persons who were threatening him.

Meanwhile, Llana’s sibling said the victim had received death threats days before the murder.

Alerta also recalled the broadcaster telling him about death threats he was receiving.

“Last Wednesday, I asked him how he was and he said he was okay,” Alerta said. “But he also told me, ‘You know, I have been getting some threats,’ but I just joked, ‘Why, are you handsome?’”

The NUJP cited the broadcaster’s death as the 12th media killing under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, the third in Bicol Region and the 185th in the country since 1986.

Malacañang has released a statement that condemned Llana’s slay and vowed to pursue justice for him.

“We strongly condemn the killing of radio reporter (Joey) Llana in Daraga, Albay, as yet another infringement on the rights to life and a free press,” Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement.

“The Presidential Task Force on Media Security will be relentless in according justice to this latest victim,” he added.

Sen. Grace Poe, on the other hand, said the slay was “another deplorable act” which “has no place in a democratic society.”

“We urge the authorities to swiftly act on this and bring the perpetrators to justice,” she added.

Poe lamented the increasing number of killings of journalists and asserted that the slow resolution of cases has emboldened those who carry out the attacks against the members of media.

“Let us not allow the culture of impunity to claim more lives,” Poe stressed.

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