Updated May 2, 9:13 p.m.
By EMILY VITAL
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — A day before the World Press Freedom Day, former National Union of Journalists of the Philippines Director John Heredia was gunned down by motorcycle riding men in barangay Lawa-an Roxas City, Capiz.
According to NUJP, Heredia, also municipal administrator of Pilar, Capiz, was about to board his vehicle when he was attacked.
In an interview with the local media, Heredia’s wife, lawyer Cris Heredia, said the victim was dead on arrival when he was brought to Capiz Doctor’s Hospital.
In September 2019, the victim’s wife survived an attempt on her life. Cris, a member of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) was red-tagged before the incident.
In a statement, NUJP said, “While Heredia was no longer in media when he was killed, his death is a symptom of the culture of impunity in the Philippines.”
We call for thorough investigation and a swift resolution of the case. pic.twitter.com/szOmN9duGy
— NUJP (@nujp) May 2, 2021
In a separate statement, NUPL-Panay condemned the killing of Heredia. “This is a monstrous crime that must be investigated promptly and properly so that the perpetrators can be brought to justice,” the group said.
“Under this administration, lives have, indeed, become so cheap as innocent people – activists, farmers, labor leaders, environmental defenders, and lawyers – are being murdered by the score,” NUPL-Panay said further.
Meanwhile, about 40 elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) raided the house of Justine Mesias, senior editor of student publication Cassipi Online and spokesperson of Youth Act Now Against Tyranny-Bicol.
Mesias was not home at the time of the incident. 
