2 mediamen gunned down in Quezon City

MANILA, Philippines — Two mediamen were gunned down by still unidentified suspects in Quezon City Tuesday evening, police said.

Senior Police Officer 1 Pascual Fabreag of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit said Bonifacio Loreto and Richard Kho of Aksyon Ngayon Newspaper were shot by still unidentified suspects at Pilot Drive in Barangay (village) Commonwealth in Quezon City around 11 p.m. Tuesday.

Fabreag said the victims, along with one Rey Moreno, were drinking in front of a convenient store when the suspects arrived and alighted from a motorcycle, and opened fire. Moreno was escaped unhurt.

A Radyo Inquirer 990AM report quoted Moreno as saying that the gunmen immediately left the area after the incident and drove off onboard their motorcycle.

It also quoted Richelle, Kho’s daughter, as saying that the motive behind the attack on his father and Loreto may have something to do with the people her father was helping as a mediaman.

Police said the victims died from multiple gunshot wounds.

Empty shells from a caliber .45 and caliber 9-millimeter pistols were recovered from the crime scene.

Follow-up operations are ongoing for the possible arrest of the suspects.