A broadcast newsman in Albay died Friday from 14 gunshot wounds inflicted by still unidentified gunmen in Daraga, only 7 kms from his work station Legazpi City, coinciding with police report the nationwide crime rate has dropped from 2014 to 2016.
Only hours later, Malacañang condemned the assault on members of the media, with Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque saying in a statement the Palace strongly rebuked the killing of dwZR Broadcaster Joey Llana, 38, at his residence in Barangay Penafrancia in Daraga, Albay.
“[It is] yet another infringement on the rights to life and a free press,” said Roque.
PNP-Bicol spokesperson chief inspector Maria Luisa Calubaquib reported hat Llana was driving out of his garage when the suspects attacked at 4:45 am.
Roque gave assurances the Presidential Task Force on Media Security would bring justice to another victim of media killings.
“The PTFoMs will be relentless in according justice to this latest victim,” Roque said.
For his part, PTFoMS executive director Joel Egco also condemned ‘in the strongest possible terms’ Llana’s killing, vowing to solve the case.
Egco has ordered the creation of a special investigation task group to look into the killing of the Albay reporter.
“This saddens me. This is the reason why it is very important that we should know the protocols on media security,” Egco said in a media interview in Baguio City.
The PTFoMS has ongoing training and seminar on media security and the Task Force protocols.
He said the task force has already coordinated with the Provincial Investigation and Detective Management Division in Bicol Region.
Based on PTFoMS protocols, Llana’s case is being initially treated as a case of media killing which falls under Administrative Order No. 1 “until further investigation proves otherwise.”
In the Senate, Senator Grace Poe deplored Llana’s killing and urged the authorities “to swiftly act on this and bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Poe said the increasing number of killings of journalists and the slow resolution of cases emboldened those who carry out the attacks against the members of the media.
“Let us not allow the culture of impunity to claim more lives,” she said.
Philippine National Police data suggested 1,040,987 crimes were reported from July 2016 to June 2018, lower than the 1,325,789 cases reported during the same period in 2014 to 2016.
Crimes against persons like homicide, physical injuries, and rape also went down, except for murder which saw an increase of 19,210 or 1.50 percent during the last two years, according to the data.
The murder rate in Metro Manila soared by around 112 percent or 3,444 from July 2016 to June 2018, significantly higher than the 1,621 murder cases from July 2014 to June 2016, according to the PNP. Macon Ramos-Araneta, PNA and Nat Mariano
Murder cases went up by 35.48 percent in the Ilocos region, 3.20 percent in Central Luzon, and 1.4 percent in the Cordilleras.
In terms of homicide, the Soccsksargen region recorded the most number of cases with 720 from July 2016 to June 2018 compared to the 267 cases recorded two years prior.
According to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, citing local radio reports, the gunmen used a 45 cal. and 9mm handguns and sprayed 14 bullets into his body.
Police are conducting an investigation to determine the identities of the assailants and the motive behind the slay.
