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Ferdie Lintuan

Davao radioman slain in Christmas Eve murder

Motorcycle-riding assassins shot dead a radio commentator of Manila Broadcasting Corporation Monday, a day before Christmas.

Ferdie "Batman" Lintuan, a blocktimer for dxGO, was driving a green Volkswagen car from the radio station in Davao City when two men onboard a motorcycle approached and shot him.

Lucio Ceniza, who was with Lintuan at the time of the murder, said the victim died after sustaining two gunshot wounds to the head. Police said the incident occurred at 9:50 a.m.

“Palabas na kami ng station noon. Pagdating naming sa labas bigla na lang siyang pinagbabaril (We were on our way out of the station. When we got out, he was suddenly gunned down),” Ceniza told abs-cbnNEWS.com.

Ceniza said he was beside Lintuan when the attack took place. He said the shooting happened so fast that he failed to notice the attacker.

“Nagpatay-patayan na lang ako, nasa front passenger seat ako. May tama rin ng bala ang bintanang katabi ko (I pretended to be dead. I was at the front passenger seat. The car window beside me was also hit),” he said.

Raul Atopuesto of dxGO said Lintuan was a hardhitting commentator who tackled different topics in his radio show. He said dxGO management officials were unaware if Lintuan received death threats before the incident.

Colleagues and Cotabato local officials condemned the killing, prompting the police to create a task force to solve the murder.

Lintuan was known for his hard hitting commentaries through his radio program “Ligas Paka.”

Some of his colleagues believe that the murder is connected to Lintuan’s work as a journalist.

Police authorities, meanwhile, have formed a task force to investigate the murder.

Malacañang denounces killing
Malacañang, meanwhile, ordered an immediate investigation on the murder of Lintuan.

“We are asking the police and the National Bureau of Investigation to investigate this. The government will not allow this criminal act to go unpunished,” said Secretary Jesus Dureza, presidential adviser on the peace process.

He added that the government will provide assistance to Lintuan’s grieving family.

Dureza said Lintuan was a survivor by an attack of the New People’s Army years ago which killed radio announcer Leo Palo.

The International Federation of Journalists-National Union of Journalists of the Philippines Safety Office has recorded 90 cases of murders of journalists in the Philippines in the past 20 years. Three perpetrators have been convicted while only eight cases remain active.

"The performance of the Philippine police, courts and judicial system must dramatically improve if fear-mongering and violence against journalists is to subside," said IFJ's Asia Pacific Director, Jacqueline Park.

"These latest arrests and charges underline why it is so important that police continue to investigate crimes against journalists in order to ensure that attackers are brought to justice and no longer pose a threat to the media and to all of society." With a report from Dennis Gasgonia, abs-cbnNEWS.com

That'S a sad news fot this christmas season.