The International Press Institute (IPI) today called on authorities in the Philippines to fully investigate the recent murder of a journalist and to take steps to curb a widespread culture of impunity in the country.

Crime reporter Alex Balcoba was shot in the head by an unidentified man outside of his family’s business in the capital city of Manila on Friday evening. The assailant left the scene with another unknown man on a motorcycle, according to news reports.

Balcoba, a reporter for People’s Brigada and a director of the Manila Police District press corps, reportedly had received death threats. However, it was not immediately clear whether the attack was connected to his reporting. According to local media, Balcoba’s son said that it would be difficult to identify just one possible killer because “he had too many enemies”.

Paul Gutierrez, president of the National Press Club of the Philippines, decried the incident in a statement posted on Facebook, saying that “the incident… highlights the fact that criminality remains rampant and unchecked”.

IPI Director of Advocacy and Communications Steven M. Ellis – noting that at least 27 journalists have lost their lives in connection with their work during the presidency of Benigno Aquino III, which began in June 2010 – said that the failure to achieve justice in many of those cases only emboldened those who would murder journalists to silence their reporting.

“While we hope that authorities will bring Mr. Balcoba’s killers to justice, a major underlying problem is the culture of impunity that has allowed so many perpetrators to escape justice,” he said. “We urge government officials to conduct a full, swift and transparent investigation into not only this murder but into the killings of all journalists. Moreover, we similarly urge President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to make ending the culture of impunity for crimes against journalists, which has plagued the Philippines for far too long, a top priority for his administration.”