A columnist for the daily tabloid Remate and his companion were shot dead last night in Arayat town in Pampanga.
Writer Jupiter Gonzales was driving to the town of Gapan, in Olongapo, with another man identified as Christopher Tiongson in a Nissan Almera when the pair were ambushed by an unidentified suspect at around 10:30pm, Remate reports.
After the suspect or suspects opened fire, the car swerved into a box of plants by the roadside. Tiongson was killed instantly, while Gonzales died as he was being brought to the hospital, according to The Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Their killing was condemned by the Presidential Task Force on Media Security, which said in a statement that it “presumes any form of media violence as work-related until further investigation proves otherwise.” Gonzales was known as a staunch critic of illegal gambling activities.
Remate has condemned the killings, and vowed to continue to report on the murders until their perpetrators have been brought to justice.
Find all episodes of The Coconuts Podcast
Reader Interactions