OZAMIZ CITY--A local official who doubled as a reporter for a radio station was gunned down in Ozamiz City on Wednesday, police said.
Barangay San Antonio councillor Edwin Segue, who also acted as a volunteer reporter for radio stations dxSY-AM, dxDD-AM and dxOC-AM, was shot dead in his passenger car while driving out of the city, said local police chief Superintendent Ramon Diones.
The motive for the killing is still unknown, said Diones, although Segue was known to report about crimes including illegal drugs in his district.
His relatives suggested that the killing might be linked to political rivalries between officials of the city.
Such rivalries have increasingly turned violent with the approach of national elections on May 10.
Politicians often resort to intimidating or eliminating rivals as elections approach. This problem is exacerbated by the more than 1.2 million unlicensed guns in the country.
The Philippines is also the world's deadliest country for journalists.
The dangers for reporters were highlighted in November last year with the massacre of 57 people, including 32 media workers, in Maguindanao province.
The massacre was allegedly carried out by a powerful political clan to prevent a rival from running against one of their members in the elections.
More than 130 journalists have been murdered since the fall of dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, with about 100 of the deaths occurring since President Gloria Arroyo came to power in 2001, local press groups say.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists earlier this year said the Philippines was among several countries where media workers were murdered with impunity.
Barangay San Antonio councillor Edwin Segue, who also acted as a volunteer reporter for radio stations dxSY-AM, dxDD-AM and dxOC-AM, was shot dead in his passenger car while driving out of the city, said local police chief Superintendent Ramon Diones.
The motive for the killing is still unknown, said Diones, although Segue was known to report about crimes including illegal drugs in his district.
His relatives suggested that the killing might be linked to political rivalries between officials of the city.
Such rivalries have increasingly turned violent with the approach of national elections on May 10.
Politicians often resort to intimidating or eliminating rivals as elections approach. This problem is exacerbated by the more than 1.2 million unlicensed guns in the country.
The Philippines is also the world's deadliest country for journalists.
The dangers for reporters were highlighted in November last year with the massacre of 57 people, including 32 media workers, in Maguindanao province.
The massacre was allegedly carried out by a powerful political clan to prevent a rival from running against one of their members in the elections.
More than 130 journalists have been murdered since the fall of dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, with about 100 of the deaths occurring since President Gloria Arroyo came to power in 2001, local press groups say.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists earlier this year said the Philippines was among several countries where media workers were murdered with impunity.
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