A Filipino journalist who survived a first attempted murder by pretending to be dead was assassinated on Tuesday (November 10) near his home, authorities said.
Virgilio Maganes, 62, was a presenter on DWPR radio in the province of Pangasinan (north).
He was shot six times by motorcycle shooters, police commander Christian Alucod told AFP.
He died instantly.
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The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) condemned the murder, specifying that Virgilio Maganes was the 18th journalist assassinated since President Rodrigo Duterte came to power in 2016. “
His death resonates like the indictment of a government which affirms in a hollow way that the freedom of the press is protected in this country
”, estimated the association.
Police said the motive for the murder was unclear.
The NUJP, however, clarified that the journalist survived an attempted murder in 2016 by playing dead after being shot.
A message left at the scene at the time read: “
I am an addict.
Don't do the same as me.
"
The Philippine president launched a
controversial
“
war on drugs
” upon
coming to power
, which has resulted in a number of extrajudicial killings of people falsely accused of being involved in drug trafficking.
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The Philippines is one of the most dangerous countries for journalists, and most killings do not lead to trial.
The organization Reporters Without Borders placed the archipelago 136th in its world ranking of press freedom, which includes 180 countries.
