Newspaper’s circulation officer shot dead in General Santos City

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines—Another Mindanao media worker was killed early Friday, just 12 days before the second anniversary of the gruesome Maguindanao massacre.

Alfredo Velarde Jr. had just entered the compound of the Brigada News  office, where he works as  circulation manager, in Barangay San Isidro here at around 3:45 a.m. when attacked by one of two men onboard a motorcycle.

Velarde was shot four times with a .45 cal. pistol.

Ernie Gabonada, station manager of Brigada FM station, Brigada News’ radio station, told reporters that the victim’s female companion had recounted that after the firing the first shot at Velarde, the gunman opened the door of Mitsubishi Strada pickup the victim was driving and shot him three more times.

Velarde was armed at the time of the attack but he failed to fire back, according to Rey Ombana, another Brigada News employee.

Ombana said the 15 bullets inside the dispenser of the Velarde’s .45 cal. pistol were intact.

Investigators of the San Isidro police precinct said the closed-circuit television camera installed at the gates of the compound captured the arrival of Velarde’s vehicle.

The area, however, where he parked his vehicle was not within the CCTV  camera’s view.

The police said a further review of the CCTV footage revealed that the arrival of the two men were also captured but the actual shooting was also not visible.

Elmer Catulpos, publisher of the 8,000-copy daily tabloid, said they were still puzzled by the attack.

He said Velarde had indeed faced some problem, including a row with one of  the tabloid’s dealers.

Catulpos said that about two weeks ago, the victim also reportedly punched a man inside a restaurant-bar here. The victim never complained.

A few months back, Velarde was sued by two teenagers for frustrated murder, he said.

Despite the incidents the victim had been embroiled in, Catulpos said they still could not pinpoint who was behind Velarde”s killing.

Merlyn Velarde, the victim”s estranged wife, said it was on October 28 when she last saw her husband alive.

“I left our conjugal home to avoid making things worse,” she said.

The National Union of Journalist of the Philippines has condemned the killing of Velarde.