Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to probe the killing of radio broadcaster Cresenciano Bunduquin in Oriental Mindoro last Wednesday, May 31.
“We’re asking the NBI to look into it, this killing, because we want to know the motives,” Remulla said in a press conference Thursday.
Remulla said he issued the directive to the NBI on request of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) Executive Director Paul Gutierrez.
Police reports showed Bunduquin was gunned down by two assailants while he was opening his retail store in Barangay Sta. Isabel, Calapan City at around 4:20 a.m.
“We know that his son ran after the gunmen, killed one of them, and recovered an identification card,” Remulla said.
“They seemed to be gun for hire. Whoever hired the hitmen, we should know them,” he added.
As this developed, several members of the diplomatic community in the Philippines have expressed concern over Bunduquin’s murder
The United States Embassy in Manila said that protection of media freedom is an “integral element” of democracy.
The embassies of Canada and The Netherlands underscored the need to safeguard media freedom to allow journalists to work without fearing for their lives and called on the government to ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable.
“Attacks on media workers must be urgently investigated, and those responsible must be held accountable,” their joint statement read.
The embassies of the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Germany and the European Delegation in Manila also condemned the killing.