ILIGAN: Hooded gunmen shot dead an outspoken radio broadcaster in the southern Philippines, police said yesterday in a country branded as one of the most dangerous for journalists.
Fernando Solijon, 47, host of a weekday show on DXLS station in Iligan City, was returning home late Thursday when two men onboard a motorcycle shot him 13 times, said the city police chief.
“I believe they are professional killers. It is possible that this killing was politically-related,” said Senior Superintendent Cristito Gonzaludo.
Solijon had frequently criticised local officials on his radio show and had received death threats in the past, he added. He declined to identify any suspects in the killing, saying an investigation was still going on.
The regional safety coordinator for a national media association said Solijon was known for his fiery criticism of town mayors and other local officials.
Such attacks on journalists are common in the Philippines, especially in the southern Mindanao region where various armed groups, such as insurgents, Islamic militants and politicians’ private armies are active, he said. afp
