Pangasinan radio commentator pretended he died to dupe attacker

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

VILLASIS, Pangasinan — A radio commentator survived a gun attack early Tuesday morning (Nov. 8) by playing dead.

Virgilio Maganes, 58, said he was shot in the arm by gunmen on board a motorcycle who attacked at 5:40 a.m. as he commuted to the dwPR in Dagupan City where he has been anchoring the 8 a.m. program.

Maganes was in a tricycle along the Asingan-Villasis Road, intending to flag down a bus for Dagupan, when he heard three gunshots at the back of the vehicle. The gunmen drove past the tricycle and fired at Maganes, hitting his right shoulder.

“I pretended to be dead by slumping against the sidecar, so the gunmen drove away fast,” said Maganes, who hosts the program, “Virgil Maganes sa dwPR.”

The tricycle driver was not hurt, but Maganes said he flagged down another tricycle to bring him to a hospital.

A man in the area found in the street a piece of cardboard penned with the phrase, “Drug Pusher Huwag Pamarisan (Don’t emulate),” which has been handed to the Villasis police.

Joselito Perez, secretary of Barangay San Blas where Maganes has been residing, said the broadcaster was not on their drug watch list.  SFM