More police sent to Roxas after shooting of radio station

ILOILO CITY—The Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO-6) has sent more police in Roxas City, Capiz, after unidentified men repeatedly shot a radio station on Thursday evening.

Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz, PRO-6 director, said a platoon of 30 policemen from the Regional Public Safety Battalion based in Iloilo would augment the Roxas City police force following the attack on dyOW Bombo Radyo Roxas.

Cruz also ordered the Roxas City and Capiz provincial police offices to heighten the visibility of police and to conduct more patrols and checkpoints.

Police from PRO-6 were also deployed to assist in the investigation of the incident.

“We want to allay any concern of residents of the city,” he told the Inquirer on Sunday.

Police visibility

Cruz also ordered the Roxas City police chief and the Capiz police director to explain why the incident occurred despite intensified police visibility and why their report came 12 hours after the shooting.

Investigators are still determining the circumstances, motive and identities of those responsible for the attack.

“We don’t want to speculate and we are gathering more information,” Cruz said.

One of two unidentified men onboard a motorcycle repeatedly shot at the station around 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, witnesses told investigators.

No one was hurt but bullet holes were found in the walls of the station. Police also recovered two deformed slugs and 11 shells believed to be from a 9-mm pistol.

Issues

The shooting happened shortly after the station signed off from its broadcast, said Warren French, Bombo Radyo area manager for the Visayas.

French said they were also determining if any of the issues they were tackling in their programs could have triggered the attack.

Five Bombo Radyo reporters and anchors have been murdered in the Visayas since 1985. These include Frank Palma, Severino Arcones, Eddie Suede, Noel Teneso and Herson “Boy” Hinolan.

The Cebu Regional Trial Court is hearing the 2004 murder trial of Hinolan, station manager of Bombo Radyo Kalibo. Hinolan died on Nov. 15, 2004, two days after he was repeatedly shot by a lone gunman.

Alfredo “Fred” Arcenio, former mayor of Lezo town in Aklan, has been accused as Hinolan’s gunman. Nestor P. Burgos Jr., Inquirer Visayas