Broadcast journalist Christopher Iban Lozada was shot and killed on Oct. 24, 2017 in Bislig City, in the province of Surigao del Sur on the island of Mindanao. Gunmen in a van reportedly opened fire on a vehicle carrying Lozada and his girlfriend as they were going to their home. Lozada’s girlfriend was wounded in the attack. Lozada, 29, was the operations manager and anchor of DXBF Prime Broadcasting Network, where he was known as “Chris Rapido”. He was also known as “Dok Chris” for his health-related radio programs.

The motive for the killing was not immediately known, but police were considering Bislig City Mayor Librado Navarro a “person of interest” after the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) confirmed that they received a complaint from Lozada that Navarro sent him SMS messages threatening Lozada’s life. The PTFoMS had sent Navarro a letter warning him to stop harassing Lozada, but it reportedly arrived after the journalist’s death.

Local media reported that Navarro’s threatening messages appeared to stem from Lozada’s role in making a complaint over a questionable hydraulic excavator deal that led the office of an ombudsman to find Navarro and other officials guilty of grave misconduct and order Navarro’s removal as mayor.