LUCENA CITY, Philippines -- A hard-hitting journalist in this city told colleagues on Tuesday about the death threat he received through a text message the day before.

Rey Briones, 29, co-host of Turing Sante in "Mga Bida ni Ojeda," a daily radio commentary program over dwKI-FM here, told members of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)-Quezon chapter Tuesday that he received the threatening message sent from cellphone number 09174661387around 7:28 a.m..

The message read: "cge galingan mo rei briones malapit ka na bwaaa ha ha ha pati yang si kakan turing na yan aabangan ko kayo bwaaaa ha ha". (Go ahead, do well Rei Briones. Your time is near, bwaaa ha ha ha. The same goes for that kakan Turing...I’m waiting for both of you ... bwaaaa ha ha.).

At least 60 Filipino journalists have been murdered since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed power in 2001, at least two of whom were based in this city.

Briones, a reporter and columnist of Quezon-based bi-monthly local tabloid "Bandilyo ng Timog Katagalugan" (Southern Tagalog Banner) said he was inclined to dismiss the threat, which he believed could be the work of prankster.

"After I received the message, I replied to the sender, asking where I could meet the person but the person no longer texted back," he said.

In his radio and newspaper columns, Briones often tackles various pressing social issues like corruption and incompetence of government officials, environmental destruction, among many other topics.

The local NUJP officials advised Briones not to ignore the threat and report the matter to the police.

"In this dangerous time for media workers, every journalist should not take any threats lightly. We should all be extra careful and always observe safety measures," Danny Estacio, NUJP-Quezon secretary general, told Briones.

Briones said he would heed the advice and report the incident to the local police.

Last June, Quezon newsman Bert Sison was shot dead by unidentified motorcycle-men while on his way home to Sariaya town aboard his car. His daughter Liwayway, also a news reporter, survived but was wounded in the arm.

In May 2003, radio announcer Apolinario Pobeda of dwTI-AM, sister station of dwKI-FMA, was also shot dead on his way to work in Lucena.

(Editor: The author of the article, Mallari, survived an attempt on his life when he was wounded by two gunmen in April 2007.)