The IPI global network is shocked and saddened by the killing of Cresenciano Bunduquin, a radio broadcaster at the station DWXR 101.7 Kalahi FM in the Philippines. IPI calls for a swift and thorough investigation into Bunduquin’s killing, and for those responsible to be held to account.

Bunduquin, 50, was shot and killed by two unidentified gunmen outside his home in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, on the morning of May 31, around 4 a.m, according to local news reports. The gunmen were riding motorcycles.

One of the gunmen, identified as Narciso Igancio Guntan, is dead, with some reports claiming he died after being hit by Bunduquin’s son with his vehicle as they fled the scene, while other sources have said that he was shot and killed by responding police officers. The other gunman is still at large, as of the morning of June 1.

Bunduquin was described by station manager Jester Joaquin as “hard-hitting” on local issues, including a recent oil spill, illegal gambling, and politics. Joaquin told the AFP that Bunduquin had been receiving threats and had been considering a career change due to them.

A police statement said that a special investigation task group (SITG) had been formed, composed of experienced investigators and led by PNP Oriental Mindoro chief Police Colonel Samuel Delorino, to look into Bunduquin’s killing. ABS-CBN News reports that the task group has identified a person of interest based on the evidence and investigation of the crime scene, but has not identified the suspect. In addition, a reward of P50,000 (about 830 euros) is being offered by the Presidential Task Force on Media Security for any information leading to the arrest of the second assailant.

“We take the incident very seriously and we will do everything in our power to ensure that the death of Cresenciano Bunduquin will be brought to justice. Likewise, I urge the public who may have information regarding the incident to come forward to expedite the resolution of the incident”, said Police Brig. Gen. Joel B. Doria, director of the Police Regional Office-Mimaropa, in a statement reported by the Manila Bulletin.

Bunduquin is the third journalist killed since the start of President Ferdinand Marcos’s administration, which began in June 2022. His death comes seven months after the killing of another radio host, Percival Mabasa, who was shot dead in Manila outside his studio.

Based on tallies from the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, Bunduquin is also now the 198th journalist killed in the country since 1986.

Most killings of journalists in the Philippines go unsolved.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines wrote in a statement to IPI, “The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines joins colleagues in Oriental Mindoro and the media community in general in calling for justice over the killing of Cresenciano “Cris” Bundoquin in Calapan City this morning.”

“Although the motives behind the attack on Bundoquin are yet unclear and a police investigation is ongoing, this latest killing is a grim reminder that journalism remains a dangerous profession in the Philippines.”

“IPI condemns the killing of journalist Cresenciano Bunduquin in the Philippines and we call for a swift, thorough, and independent investigation to determine the motive and in order to hold those responsible to account”, IPI Deputy Director Scott Griffen said. “If President Marcos is serious about protecting press freedom and journalist safety in the Philippines, as he claimed on World Press Freedom Day this year, his administration must prioritize investigations into attacks on journalists and preventing impunity. The failure to secure accountability for such attacks drives further violence against the press.”