P300K bounty raised for killers of Mindanao journalist

August 10, 2017 - 8:26 AM
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The wake of murdered journalist Leo Diaz. (photo by Dennis Arcon, InterAksyon)

PRESIDENT QUIRINO, Sultan Kudarat — The governments of Sultan Kudarat province and President Quirino town are offering a P300,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the killers of journalist Leo Diaz.

Diaz, 60, was one of two Mindanao journalists murdered in as many days this week.

A columnist of the local Sapol Newspaper and a reporter of Radio Mindanao Network, Dias was shot dead by a motorcycle-riding gunman as he left his house in President Quirino on August 7. A day earlier, two motorcycle-riding gunmen killed Rudy Alicaway, 46, a village councilman of Miligan in Molave town, Zamboanga del Sur who also anchored the program Tigmo-Tigmo over dxPB 106.9 Radyo ng Bayan.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said the two murders, if proven to be work-related, would bring the number of journalists killed in the country since 1986 to 177.

Goveror Pax Mangudadatu, who visited the wake of Diaz at the slain journalist’s home in Barangay Katiko, gave P200,000 to the bounty. The remaining amount was offered by President Quirino Mayor Azel Mangudadatu.

Diaz, who is survived by his wife Rose and five children, will be buried August 17.