Intl media group seeks probe into Iriga broadcaster's killing

An international media group called on the Philippine government Tuesday to leave no stone unturned in investigating the killing of Iriga radio broadcaster Romeo Olea. New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said the killing of Olea should not end up being another unprosecuted case in the Philippines. "(Olea's killing) must not become just another uninvestigated, unprosecuted death of a journalist in the Philippines. The government must step in to help local police and prosecutors bring Olea's killers to trial and see the process through to a conviction and sentencing," said Bob Dietz, CPJ's Asia program coordinator, in an article on the CPJ website. Initial police reports showed Olea, 49, was gunned down shortly before dawn Monday while on his way to work. Olea worked for dwEB radio. The CPJ, citing local and international media reports, said Olea was shot twice in the back while riding his motorcycle to work in Iriga City in Camarines Sur. Fourth this year The National Union of Journalists in the Philippines said Olea was the fourth journalist murdered this year and the fifth since President Benigno Aquino III assumed office promising to protect human rights and bring good governance. Olea was the 145th journalist murdered since 1986. The NUJP likewise noted that Olea is the second broadcaster of dwEB-FM to be killed in less than a year. Last year, Miguel Belen — a part-time radio commentator at dwEB — died in a local hospital days after being shot seven times by two motorcycle-riding assailants on July 9, 2010. "Like many other provincial call-in news shows, Olea's daily broadcast 'Anything Goes' dealt with local government and accusations of corruption. In a statement, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma said the government deplores Olea's 'senseless killing,'" the CPJ noted. On the other hand, the CPJ pointed out the Philippines ranked third on CPJ's Impunity Index in 2011, making it one of the worst nations in terms of official reluctance to fight anti-press forces. The CPJ added only Somalia and Iraq rank worse on the index than the Philippines. — RSJ, GMA News