Sonny Alcantara

Here are the Philippine journalists killed in connection with their work since 2000, as documented by the Committee to Protect Journalists.

The Five Most Murderous Countries for Journalists

Two witnesses have identified a journalist's murderer, but in a city of warlord politics and rampant corruption, the suspect remains at large.

Raucous and uninhibited, the Philippine press continues to be one of Asia's freest. There are few government controls on the media, newspapers do not have to be licensed, and broadcasters are largely left alone. The private Association of Philippine Broadcasters regulates itself, unlike in many other Asian countries, where the government performs this function.

San Pablo, Philippines, August 27, 2002—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply concerned about the murder of journalist and broadcaster Sonny Alcantara in the city of San Pablo, south of Manila, and calls on the government of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation into the slaying.

Alcantara, 51, was killed when a lone gunman shot him in the forehead near his home as he was riding a motorcycle, police investigators told CPJ. Investigators said that they believe at least one accomplice informed the gunman by cell phone of Alcantara's departure from his home at about 10 a.m. on August 22.