International Press-Freedom Groups Urge Probe on Murder of Radio Host-Lawyer

Reporters Without Borders urges the authorities to react with the utmost firmness to today’s murder of Crispin Perez in his home in San Jose (in western Mindoro Occidental province). Perez was shot twice and stabbed twice by an unidentified assailant shortly after hosting his morning programme on local radio DWDO.

“The police must consider all the possibilities,” Reporters Without Borders said. “Perez was a lawyer and a former provincial vice-governor, but it may have been the content of his programmes that led to his murder. The central government must assign substantial resources to this investigation.”

Perez’s murder comes just six days after crime reporter Jojo Trajano’s death in a shootout between police and gang members in a Manila suburb.
http://www.rsf.org/Crime-reporter-killed-in-shootout.html

Mindoro Occidental governor Josephine Sato said today’s murder was carried out by a man who “posed as a client and stabbed Perez in the back.” Aged 66, Perez was rushed to St. Mary Magdalene hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

“I strongly believe that this is politically motivated,” Sato said, noting that Perez made many enemies by criticising a contract which a local cooperative signed with an influential privately-owned company.”

Provincial police chief Ceasar Miranda said the police were looking for an unidentified suspect who fled on a motorcycle.

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Philippine broadcast journalist shot dead

New York, June 9, 2009—Police in Mindoro Occidental province should immediately investigate the shooting murder of Philippine radio commentator Crispin Perez for possible links to his reporting, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

An unidentified attacker stabbed and fatally shot Perez on Tuesday in San Jose in the central Philippines, according to local and international news reports. The attack took place in the broadcaster’s home shortly after his morning show at the local DWDO radio station, Agence France-Presse reported. Some news reports said he was standing outside the station when he was attacked. Perez was a former politician who had also worked as a lawyer. Police told journalists they were investigating possible motives for the murder. AFP cited a local politician as saying that Perez had recently “made enemies” over a local energy deal but did not elaborate on the content of his radio program.

The perpetrator fled on a motorcycle, according to the news reports. Perez was declared dead on arrival at the local hospital, the reports said.

Perez is the fourth journalist killed in a shooting attack in the Philippines this year. CPJ is investigating whether he and two other killed radio broadcasters, Badrodin Abbas in January and Ernie Rollin in February, were targeted for their commentaries. Print journalist Jojo Trajano was slain in crossfire while covering a police raid on June 3.

“We urge local police, in cooperation with the Philippine government, to pursue the investigation into Crispin Perez’s murder promptly to establish whether he was killed for his broadcasts,” said Bob Dietz, CPJ’s Asia Program coordinator. “Authorities must address the shockingly high level of violence against Philippine journalists by bringing those responsible to justice.”