Gabriel Alburo

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Gabriel Alburo, a radio journalist at 94.5 DYJL FM Like Radio, was shot and killed by two motorcycle-riding assailants in La Libertad, a town in Negros Oriental province, while returning home from a cockfight at around 3 a.m., local reports said.

Alburo died on the spot from his injuries, and the assailants fled, the reports said. Police officials recovered 11 empty shells from a .45 caliber handgun and a single cartridge from a 9mm pistol from the spot where Alburo was shot, the reports said.

Alburo, also known by his broadcast name “Commander Aquila,” hosted a regular hard-hitting morning talk show known as “Pagmata na Commander,” on the community radio station, CNN Philippines reported. 

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said in a statement that Alburo had "only recently resumed" broadcasting on the station. 

Superintendent Raul Tacara, director of the Negros Oriental provincial police office, said that Alburo was involved in a verbal dispute at the cockfighting event before his murder, but did not rule out that his killing may have been related to his journalism, the Philippine Inquirer reported.

At the time of his death, Alburo was also running as an independent candidate to serve as Guihulngan city councilor in elections scheduled for May, local reports said.