On June 29, 2022, journalist and radio host Federico “Ding” Gempesaw was fatally shot outside Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. Gempesaw was stepping out of a taxi when two masked gunmen shot him. According to witness testimony, Gempesaw struggled with one of the gunmen before he was shot a second time and killed. The perpetrators later fled on motorcycles.
In late October this year, police issued a statement confirming that the murder was related to his journalistic work. A mastermind behind the killing had ordered the two men to carry out the murder. Police stated that the person ordered the attack over comments made by Gempesaw on his radio show.
Gempesaw was a high-profile political commentator and hosted the radio show Bitayan sa Kahanginan for the local station Radyo Natin.