New York, December 21, 2006–The Committee to Protect Journalists deplores the killing of Philippines radio broadcaster Andres Acosta, which police believe may be linked to his work. He was stabbed to death Wednesday in the town of Batac, 240 miles (390 kilometers) north of Manila.
“We join our colleagues in the Philippines in mourning the death of Andres Acosta, and calling for justice,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “The government must make progress in investigating and convicting those responsible for murdering journalists in the Philippines. The impunity with which killers operate has cost too many lives and hampered the ability of the press to report.”
Acosta, a reporter for radio station dzJC Aksyon Radyo, collapsed on his motorcycle while trying to get to a hospital after being stabbed in the head and body by an unidentified attacker.
Batac police chief Bienvenido Rayco told local media that the killing might have been related to Acosta’s work. “He had been receiving death threats,” Rayco said, without giving further details. He also noted that Acosta had been a witness in a court case and could have been a victim of revenge. No details of the case were available.
A colleague of Acosta’s at dzJC radio, Roger Mariano, was killed in 2004.
CPJ has confirmed that three other journalists were killed for their work this year in the Philippines.