Two other radio journalists, Harrison Manalac and Nilo Labares, survived gunshot wounds following attempts on their lives in May and March respectively. CPJ has not confirmed the motive in those attacks.

The six shootings, which were scattered throughout the Philippines, do not appear to be related, but took place in a climate of near-total impunity in journalist murder cases, according to CPJ research. Radio broadcasters, who frequently lease airtime from stations to broadcast personal commentaries without editorial input, are particularly vulnerable to violent retribution from listeners, CPJ research shows.

CPJ works with local partners in the Philippines on the Global Campaign Against Impunity, which seeks justice in journalist murders, and launched its 2009 Impunity Index in Manila in March, with the Philippines ranking sixth worldwide among countries that fail to prosecute cases of killed journalists.

CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.

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