Gunmen ambushed and killed Manalo, 42, a correspondent for the Manila
tabloid Bulgar and radio station DZRH, in the morning, shortly
after he dropped off his children at school, according to international
news reports and local journalists.
Two men on a motorcycle shot Manalo three times at 7:15 a.m. while
he was returning home in Bauan, Batangas Province, about 60 miles
(100 kilometers) south of the capital, Manila, according to news reports.
Manalo was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
On August 26, 2004, police arrested suspected gunman Michael Garcia, according
to local news reports. Police said that they believe Garcia was hired
by local political leader Edilberto Mendoza.
The journalist’s brother Apollo Manalo was riding in the victim’s
car when he was killed. Police filed charges against Garcia after
Apollo identified the suspect from police records, according to local
news reports. Police suspect that Manalo was killed for his reporting on Mendoza,
according to local news reports.
In 2009, Garcia was shot and killed in police custody by officers escorting him to a provincial jail, news reports said. Police claimed Garcia had tried to take the weapon from one of the officers.