Dizon, a photographer for the English-language newspaper The Freeman and a correspondent for the local tabloid Banat, was shot and killed in Cebu City.
Dizon, 31, was shot in the head and chest near a car wash in Cebu City in central Philippines, about 350 miles (565 kilometers) south of Manila, according to local news reports. The unidentified gunman fired at point-blank range, and shot again as Dizon tried to run away. The journalist died just before 8:30 p.m. at Cebu City Medical Center, according to news reports.
Police told reporters that Dizon provided them with information on an illegal syndicate that ran drug and gambling operations. Police said they believe that Dizon’s murder was linked to those tips, and arrested Edgar Belandres as the suspected gunman. Police said they believe that the mastermind is still at large, according to news reports.
Some local journalists believe that the murder was related to Dizon’s reporting on illegal gambling. In the days following Dizon’s murder, The Freeman received two phone calls threatening other journalists at the newspaper, according to news reports.