Joey Llana
Malaca帽ang, lawmakers and media groups condemned the killing of a Bicol-based radio journalist, who was shot multiple times inside his car as he was leaving his house in Daraga town on his way to work early on Friday morning.
In a statement, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the attack on Joey Llana was 鈥測et another infringement on the rights to life and a free press.鈥�
The Presidential Task Force on Media Security 鈥渨ill be relentless in according justice to this latest victim,鈥� Roque said.
Sen. Grace Poe, chair of the Senate public information and mass media committee, urged the authorities to quickly bring to justice those responsible for the 鈥渄eplorable act, which has no place in a democratic society.鈥�
鈥淭he increasing number of killings of journalists and the slow resolution of cases embolden those who carry out the attacks against the members of the media,鈥� she said in a statement.
鈥淟et us not allow the culture of impunity to claim more lives,鈥� Poe said.
Sen. Sonny Angara was outraged at the 鈥渃owardly act,鈥� saying it 鈥渉as no place in a civilized society like ours.鈥�
鈥淲e cannot allow fear and impunity to reign in a democratic society,鈥� Angara said.
12th fatal attack
Senior Insp. Maria Luisa Calubaquib, Bicol police spokesperson, said unidentified gunmen riddled Llana with bullets at close range, killing him instantly.
Investigators recovered more than a dozen 9mm and .45-caliber bullet casings at the scene.
The International Federation of Journalists condemned Llana鈥檚 death, which the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines says will be the 12th fatal attack against the media under President Duterte if it turns out to be work-related.
Llana, 43, a blocktime anchor, has handled the Monday to Friday early morning program 鈥淢etro Banat鈥� since August 2016 and just this month started manning the Saturday morning 鈥淎rangkada Daraga鈥� show for station DWZR in Legazpi City.
The 鈥渉ard-hitting鈥� broadcaster has criticized local and national officials for graft-tainted projects and corruption in media and the police, according to his younger brother, Jose.
Bag of drugs 鈥榩lanted鈥�
鈥淚n fact, my mother Teresita never failed to remind him to be careful about issues he discusses on his program,鈥� said Jose, adding that his brother would answer back, saying, 鈥淚 always speak the truth.鈥�
Police said they found a blue Avon sling bag with seven sachets of 鈥渟habu鈥� (crystal meth) and a lighter inside Llana鈥檚 car, his brother said.
鈥淚t was planted. He doesn鈥檛 use sling bag,鈥� Jose said, adding that he believes the drugs were meant to distract investigators and the public.
Darlan Barcelon, president of the Police Regional Office 5 Press Corps, also doubted the shabu was Llana鈥檚. 鈥淚 never saw a visible clue that he was into drugs,鈥� he said.
Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP)-Albay chapter and Barcelon鈥檚 group demanded justice for Llana and appealed for an immediate investigation.
ANOTHER MEDIA KILLING Hard-hitting radio commentator Joey Llana鈥檚 vehicle blocks a lane outside his house in Daraga town in Albay after unidentified gunmen killed him on Friday as he was leaving for work in nearby Legazpi City. Critics of President Duterte decry the 鈥渃limate of impunity鈥� that encourages the killing not only of journalists. 鈥擬ICHAEL B. JAUCIAN
Death threats
Chief Supt. Arnel Escobal, Bicol police director, created a task group to investigate Llana鈥檚 killing.
KBP-Albay president Tito Ordinario said there were reports that Llana had received death threats through text messages.
Erasto Alerta, another DWZR anchor, said Llana two days earlier confided that he was troubled by 鈥渟o many death threats.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 too much already. It鈥檚 like I鈥檓 being fried,鈥� Alerta quoted Llana as telling him. He recalled that Llana told him they would 鈥渘ot see each other again.鈥�
Barcelon described Llana as 鈥渁 live wire鈥� who sometimes made 鈥渞eckless statements.鈥� He did not elaborate.
鈥淏ut 鈥� he was still a legitimate media practitioner,鈥� Barcelon said. 鈥擶ITH REPORTS FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH, MAR ARGUELLES, MICHAEL JAUCIAN, MA. APRIL MIER, REY ANTHONY OSTRIA AND AP