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Authorities said on Tuesday that they are still looking into the
possible motive for the killing of local community newspaper
columnist Benefredo Acabal, who was gunned down by a
motorcycle-riding gunman at close range in Pasig City late Monday
night.
In their initial investigation, the Eastern
Police District (EPD) said that Acabal, 34, publisher and columnist
of the Cavite-based newspaper Pilipino Newsmen and a resident of
Silang, Cavite, died after sustaining five gunshot wounds in
different parts of his body.
Investigators also said that the lone witness in
the shooting could hold the key to solving the brutal assassination
of Acabal.
The witness, in his sworn statement, said the
shooting occurred around 10:15 p.m. Monday night along Amang
Rodriguez Avenue corner Greenpark Village, Manggahan, right after
he stepped out of his workplace at Unilever RFM Selecta Ice Cream.
He told investigators that he went to see where
the shots came from and claimed he saw the wounded Acabal trying to
fight back the suspect, who was clad in black jacket and denim
pants.
But the assailant fired at the media man again,
this time at close range.
The witness also said that he was forced to flee
the crime scene since the suspect had spotted him. But the
unidentified suspect boarded a motorcycle and fled toward the
direction of Rosario, Cavite.
Army Staff Sgt. Antonio Ramos Raynilo rushed the
victim to the Rizal Medical Center for treatment but was later
pronounced dead on arrival around 10:36 p.m.
EPD Chief Supt. Leon Nilo dela Cruz said they
recovered five empty 9mm shells from the crime scene, adding that
they are still looking to the possibility that the killing is work
related.
Acabal is the 71st journalist or media
practitioner killed in the country since 1986. Out of the 71 killed,
67 were from the provinces.
Earlier, the New York-based Committee to Protect
Journalists and the French Reporters without Borders branded the
Philippines as the second most dangerous place for working
journalists outside of Iraq.
-- James Konstantin Galvez
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