DIGOS CITY—A broadcaster was shot dead here on Friday, adding to the growing list of media men whose killings remain unsolved under an administration that had promised to be different than its predecessor.
Samuel Oliverio, 57, who was host of a program called “Bulgaran” on radio station dxPM and cohost of another program on radio station dxDX, died instantly after motorcycle-riding gunmen shot him repeatedly, hitting him in the head and nape.
Oliverio is the third media man killed here since 2006.
Broadcaster Armando Pace was killed in 2006. In 2010, former Digos Times editor Nestor Bedolido was gunned down. The two cases are unsolved, although one of the suspects in Bedolido’s case has been arrested.
Investigators said Oliverio was on his motorcycle with his wife, Rowena, when attacked by two gunmen on Gregorio del Pilar Street on Friday.
Rowena survived the attack but suffered bruises when she fell from the motorcycle.
Rowena said she and her husband were heading home from the market when the gunmen struck. They were around
100 meters from their house.
“Let’s go,” Rowena quoted one of the gunmen as telling the other suspect after the shooting.
“I thought one of the tires of our motorcycle exploded,” Rowena said.
“It was after the second shot that I realized Sammy had been shot,” she added.
She said the family was still at a loss as to why her husband was killed.
Daniel Gloria Jr., Oliverio’s colleague, said Oliverio was known to be mild in his commentary. But he admitted that they tackled issues ranging from politics to illegal gambling and drugs.
Bert Zamora, city information officer, said Oliverio might have angered some people in the past because of his commentary.
Gloria said that in the past weeks, Oliverio was not as fiery in his commentary, as he was still recovering from a mild stroke.
Former broadcaster Ruben Oliverio, elder brother of the victim, said Sammy was known to be friendly, even if he was critical of some people.
“He had no known enemies and he had not received any threat,” he said
An incensed Digos City Mayor Joseph Peñas labeled Oliverio’s killing the height of inhumanity.
Supt. Querubin Manalang, city police chief, said police were doing their best to solve Oliverio’s death.
Davao del Sur Gov. Claude Bautista said Oliverio’s death was condemnable because it took place when the country was commemorating the 54th month of the 2009 Maguindanao massacre.
“I call on police to exert all effort to bring the perpetrators behind bars,” Bautista said.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said Oliverio was the 164th journalist to be killed since 1986 and the 28th under the Aquino administration.
NUJP said that just last week, the Senate panel chaired by Sen. Grace Poe had conducted hearings on the status of media killings in the country, to which police and industry representatives were invited to provide updates on the arrest and prosecution of culprits.
Malacañang said it had ordered police to “exert maximum efforts” to arrest Oliverio’s killers. Eldie Aguirre and Orlando Dinoy, Inquirer Mindanao, with a report from TJ A. Burgonio in Manila