By Gabriela Baron
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) condemned on Thursday, June 1, the killing of radio broadcaster Cresenciano Bunduquin on May 30.
Bunduquin, 50, was shot dead in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro early Wednesday morning by a riding-in-tandem.
The broadcaster hosted “Ayos Mandin,” a show on DWXR 101.7 Kalahi FM.
In a statement, NUJP said Bunduquin’s murder “is a grim reminder that journalism remains a dangerous profession in the Philippines.”
“[Cases] like Bunduquin’s show that the circumstances that put our colleagues, especially those in the regions, at risk are still there,” NUJP said.
The group also called on the Marcos administration and the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) to end impunity surrounding attacks on journalists and bring those who “harass, attack, and kill” media workers to account.
The PTFoMS is offering a P50,000-reward for any information leading to the gunman’s arrest.
The Philippines climbed 15 places in this year’s World Press Freedom Index, according to Reporters Without Borders.
From ranking 147th in 2022, the country is now ranked 132nd out of 180 countries.
READ MORE: Radio broadcaster shot dead in Oriental Mindoro
-ag
