Poster taken from the NUJP Facebook page

By ALYSSA MAE CLARIN
Bulatlat.com

MANILA– A radio commentator in Pangasinan who survived a slay attempt in 2016 was shot dead today, Nov. 10, in front of his home in Villasis, Pangasinan.

At around 6:30 a.m, Virgilio Maganes was about to enter his home in sitio Licsab, barangay San Blas when he the gunmen fired at him six times. According to a report by Bombo Radyo Dagupan, Maganes died of gunshot wound to the head.

According to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), Maganes is the 18th journalist murdered under President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, and the 190th since 1986.

Maganes, a commentator for radio station dwPR and a columnist writer of a local newspaper The Northern Watch, survived an attempt on his life on Nov. 8, 2016 by unidentified men riding in tandem on a motorcycle. He played dead when the gunmen shot at him four times while he was riding a tricycle on his way to work. A sign was left near the scene saying: “Drug pusher huwag pamarisan,” which is believed to be an attempt to malign him and mask the real motives behind the crime.

The NUJP called on the authorities to look into Maganes’s death.The first assassination attempt had never been resolved.

“The community of independent Filipino journalists shall not let his death be in vain,” said NUJP in a statement, “We will continue to seek justice for Vir and all our other fallen colleagues as we continue our struggle for genuine freedom of the press and of expression in our country.”