PHILIPPINES: SECOND RADYO NATIN BROADCASTER KILLED

PHILIPPINES: SECOND RADYO NATIN BROADCASTER KILLED

A Filipino radio broadcaster who had been receiving death threats was shot dead on 2 December by unknown assailants in the province of Northern Samar, about 500 kilometres south of Manila, report the Center for Media Freedom (CMFR) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). He is the second Radyo Natin (Our Radio) presenter killed in less than a month. Leonilo Mila of Radyo Natin in San Roque was attacked as he was leaving work. Staff at the station heard gun shots a few minutes after Mila left. His body was later discovered in an empty lot a few metres from the station. His colleagues believe that the murder of Mila is work-related. According to CMFR sources, Mila, who hosted the music programme "Himig Waraynon" (Waraynon Sound) and the morning public service programme "Pungkaras sa Kaagonoon" (Wake Up at Dawn), had been receiving death threats from an unidentified teacher and a local official because of his commentaries on local corruption. His colleagues said that Mila had reported the threats to the local police. Mila is the sixth journalist/media practitioner to be killed in the line of duty this year, according to CMFR, and the second Radyo Natin presenter to be gunned down in less than a month. Aresio Padrigao, a Radyo Natin host in Gingoog City in Mindanao, southern Philippines, was shot dead by two men on a motorcycle on 17 November. Visit these links:- CMFR: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/99010/- RSF: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=29528- IFEX Philippines page: http://tinyurl.com/5ojhac