Two unidentified gunmen shot Libaton, 45, as he rode on the
back of a motorcycle driven by a fellow reporter in the southern city of Mati,
in Davao Oriental province, in Mindanao, the southernmost island in the
Philippines, according to local news reports. He died in a local hospital from
gunshot wounds to his face and body, according to the reports. His colleague,
Eldon Cruz, was unharmed.
Libaton was an anchor for the church-run DXHM Radio, local
journalists reported. His colleagues told journalists that he had no known
enemies and was not known for sensitive commentaries.
On May 12, police released composite images of two alleged
gunmen based on information received by eyewitnesses, according to report by
the Mindanao Examiner. Superintendent Anthony Placido, the deputy
provincial police chief who led the task force investigating Libaton’s murder,
said that police had launched a manhunt for the two unnamed suspects. Placido
said the motive for the attack was unknown, according to the report.