Zamboanga journalist shot dead

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — A female broadcaster was shot dead on Tuesday night in a village in this city.

Maria Vilma Lozano-Rodriguez, 56, was a single mother of four and broadcast journalist of Zamboanga-based eMedia Production Network.

Rodriguez was shot three times by her 33-year-old nephew around 8:45 p.m. in Barangay Tumaga while she was inside a store with her mother, sister and another nephew.

She was rushed to the Zamboanga City Medical Center, where she was declared dead.

The suspect has been arrested by operatives led by Police Station 7 chief Maj. Ramon Acquiatan Jr.

Filing of criminal charges is underway.

“Initial investigation showed that the circumstances leading to this incident are not related to the victim’s work as a member of the media,” said Col. Kimberly Molitas, director of the Zamboanga City Police Office.

“We have identified persons of interest, hence we seek everyone’s cooperation to wait for the update on this case while we conduct a hot pursuit operation,” Molitas said.

Rodriguez worked at eMedia Production Network for almost a year, according to the company’s president and chief executive officer Rey Bayona Bayoging.

He noted that Rodriguez was a good community leader who served as barangay secretary of Tumaga.

Her qualities, he said, prompted them to give Rodriguez a radio program that discussed barangay affairs.

“It was not a hard-hitting program,” Bayoging said. “It appeared the incident was not related to the media work but more personal.”

Rodriguez’s children disclosed that their mother had a conflict with some family members, wherein she was verbally assaulted and the issue reached the barangay for settlement, according to Bayoging.

“The children disclosed that a threat was issued against their mother. Vilma did not inform us about that,” Bayoging said.

Rodriguez is the fourth case of media personalities killed in this city since the end of the martial law era.

Radio broadcaster Candelario Cayona was shot dead on his way to report for duty in Barangay Canelar on May 30, 2001.

The Zamboanga Press Club Inc. condemned what they described as a dastardly act against a member of the press.

The Presidential Communications Office also condemned the “barbaric attack” against Rodriguez.

“These kinds of vile and atrocious acts have no place in our nation, which values freedom, democracy and the rule of law above all,” the PCO said.

“We call upon authorities to conduct a swift and impartial probe into this atrocious incident. No stone should be left unturned in the pursuit of those culpable,” it added. — Alexis Romero