Godofredo Linao

Radyo Natin

July 27, 2009, in Surigao del Sol , Philippines

Philippine broadcaster Godofredo Linao Jr., 49, was shot in Barabo township, Surigao del Sur province, about 545 miles (875 kilometers) from the capital, Manila, according to local press freedom groups and news reports.

Linao hosted a weekly public affairs program called “Straight to the Point” on Radyo Natin, and worked as a disc jockey for another radio station, the reports said. He went to Barabo in response to a text message at around 1 a.m., according to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, which quoted Radyo Natin station manager Mario Alviso. The journalist was getting on his motorcycle when two unidentified men fired at him four times.

The motive for the murder was not clear. Task Force USIG, a unit of the Philippines National Police dedicated to investigating media and political murders, said it considered his radio broadcasts a possible motive in the attack. Alviso said he received threatening text messages after Linao’s murder, according to the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR).

Linao, a “block-timer” who leased airtime from Radyo Natin, was also a spokesman for provincial Vice Gov. Librado Navarro, according to CMFR. Navarro was a sponsor of the radio program. The journalist’s wife told CMFR that he had planned to run as a candidate in the 2010 provincial board elections and had received threats while running for political posts in the past.

Motive Unconfirmed: CPJ is investigating to determine whether the death was work-related.