Two journalists killed in Mindanao: police

August 7, 2017

Two journalists were killed in separate incidents in Mindanao, police said Monday

Gunmen shot a journalist dead in President Quirino town in the southern Philippine province of Sultan Kudarat.

Leodoro Diaz, a columnist of regional newspaper Sapol and reporter of Radio Mindanao Network, was shot by two men riding in tandem on Monday, police said.

Senior Superintendent Raul Supiter, provincial police commander, said Diaz had left his house in the village of Katiko on his motorcycle with his niece and son going to Tacurong City.

Supiter said Diaz, in his 60s, sustained multiple gunshot wounds in his body resulting in his immediate death.

In Molave, Zamboanga del Sur a media volunteer was killed in a drive-by shooting in a remote area on Sunday, police said.

Chief Inspector Helen Galvez, regional police information officer, identified the victim as Rudy Alicaway, 46, of DXPB, an affiliate of the government-run Radyo Pilipinas.

Alicaway is an incumbent councilor of Barangay Miligan in Molave.

Galvez said Alicaway was shot and killed around 1:15 p.m.at Sitio Lopez, Barangay Culo in Molave.

President Quirino police district station is conducting a discreet and intel monitoring for possible identification of the two suspects, a police report said.

In the Molave case investigation showed Alicaway was driving motorcycle on the way home when shot by one of two men riding tandem in another motorcycle that tailed the victim.

Further investigation showed suspects disembarked and finished off Alicaway, who tried to crawl to safety despite wounded after he crashed into the pavement.

The suspects sped off towards Magsaysay Street, Molave while the victim failed to reach alive in the hospital.

Galvez said the victim had just hosted his Sunday radio variety program before he was shot.

Diaz and Alicaway were the fourth and fifth journalists killed during President Rodrigo Duterte's administration. Alanna Ambi/DMS