Cops eye personal grudge in killing of GenSan reporter

Police in General Santos City have identified and are zeroing in on the man who killed a radio broadcaster in General Santos City last weekend. Senior Superintendent Marcelo Pintac, General Santos City police chief, said Monday their initial investigation also indicated the motive behind the killing of journalist Chito Abuzo was personal and not work-related. "Yung suspect natin ngayon ka-live-in ng isang media na babae, isang lalaki. Hindi ito broadcaster (Our suspect is a live-in partner of a female colleague of the victim. He is not a broadcaster)," Pintac said in an interview on dzXL radio. But he did not name the suspect, saying it may compromise ongoing operations. He also said their findings showed the killing stemmed from a personal grudge. He would not say if it was a love triangle. "Ang ating findings, ito [ay] personal grudge, personal na away ang dahilan (Our initial findings are that this was a personal grudge)," he added, noting the stone used to kill Abuzo weighed five kilos. Abuzo, a blocktime broadcaster and columnist of "Sapol," was found dead Saturday night inside the compound of dxGS radio in General Santos City. His head was smashed with a concrete object. Police said the object used in the killing was a five-kilo stone. Initial investigation showed Abuzo went to a hut inside the radio station compound after his program Saturday night, and was found dead. Abuzo is the 138th media worker killed since 1986, when the Philippines regained its democracy following the ouster of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos from power. The most massive killing of media workers in a single day occurred on Nov. 23 last year when 32 were killed in the infamous massacre in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao in southern Philippines. — RSJ, GMANews.TV