Davao Oriental political vlogger shot dead

Screengrab of Donnie Lumikid in his YouTube channel

DAVAO CITY – A political vlogger in Manay, Davao Oriental was shot dead on Friday, a kilometer away from the town center, the Regional Police Office reported.

Based on the initial data, Danilo Lumikid Jr., also known as Donnie Lumikid, was driving his motorcycle along the national highway from the town center when someone shot him in the head.

Police Master Sgt. Joselito Gomera, the case investigator, said probers have yet to find a witness as “the place is very secluded that there was not a single house that you could find” even as it is along the highway.

According to Police Maj. Meliton Sango I, Manay police chief, the suspect could have also been on a motorcycle.

Five minutes after the shooting was reported, Sango requested police units in the nearby towns of Tarragona and Caraga to conduct a checkpoint in their boundaries while a police team from the town conducted a search for the killer.

Manay is the town between Caraga to the east and Tarragona, the town adjacent to the provincial capital, Mati City.

Asked whether they had established any motive, Gomera said the investigators were still looking at all angles “so that we can avoid putting immediate color on the killing.”

The victim had a Youtube channel where he discussed politics; it has 210 subscribers.

His political commentaries are also shown on his personal Facebook page which has close to 5,000 friends.

According to Gomera, Lumikid was facing three counts of cyberlibel filed by the members of the Dayanghirang family, and last week, he was subpoenaed to appear before the prosecutor’s office and file his counter-affidavit.

Lumikid’s commentary on Thursday lambasted a local politician for having a questionable record as a public official.

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