An unidentified gunman shot Somera, host of a public affairs
program, before fleeing the scene in a Jeep, according to The Associated Press.
Somera, a 44-year-old mother of three, died on the way to a local hospital from
a gunshot wound to the head.
Police Chief Nicanor Bartolome said investigators were
looking into a land dispute involving Somera. She was the president of a local
housing association and discussed her work with the group on the air. Agence
France-Presse, citing a statement from DZME, said the journalist’s radio
broadcasts covered the conditions of disadvantaged people in the Philippines. She
also frequently criticized officials for failing to provide adequate public
services, Reuters reported.