[ad_1]
Two armed men traveling on a motorcycle shot dead a journalist working for a local newspaper and working as a commentator for a local radio station in Pangasinan on Tuesday.
A report sent to Camp Crame identified the victim as Virgilio Maganes, an employee of North Watch and a resident of Barangay San Blas, Villasis, Pangasinan.
Maganes was about to enter his residential complex when two men riding a Yamaha motorcycle in tandem shot him six times, killing him instantly.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said the 62-year-old Maganes had survived an assassination attempt in 2016. Citing a report by Bombo Radyo Dagupan, it said the victim was also a commentator for the radio station dwPR.
“On November 8, 2016, Maganes survived an attempt on his life by pretending to be dead when armed men on a motorcycle shot him while riding a tricycle. A sign was left near the scene that read: ‘Drug dealer huwag pamarisan’ in what was seen as an attempt to divert attention from the real motive for the assassination attempt, “said NUJP.
The group of journalists said that Maganes was the 18th journalist to be assassinated during the Duterte government and the 190th since 1986.
The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) condemned the murder and described the incident as an act of cowardice.
The PTFoMS said the victim was shot around 6:45 a.m. He said investigators recovered six empty cartridges from a .45 caliber pistol from the crime scene.
“We are deeply saddened by the untimely death of Virgilio Maganes and extend our deepest condolences to his family. This administration condemns any type of homicide, especially the media. I have directed the Assistant Secretary to the Executive Director of PTFoMS, Joel Sy Egco, to act quickly on this and personally handle this matter, ”said Secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and co-chair of PTFoMS, Martin Andanar.
