Senior Superintendent Marvin Bolabola, Ilocos region chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), said the stabbing of Acosta, 46, who worked for dzJC Aksyon Radyo, an affiliate of the Manila Broadcasting Company, was most likely triggered by an altercation with someone that night.
Acosta had reportedly come from a Christmas party of the Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative press corps at Northview Hotel in Laoag City and was on his way home in Batac aboard his motorcycle when he was attacked.
Though bleeding from three stab wounds, Acosta managed to bring himself a few meters away from the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital with an icepick still stuck in his abdomen.
As he fell on the road, a motorist helped him, bringing him to the hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.
A police source said Acosta could have been attacked by three persons.
Bolabola, however, said they were not discounting other possible angles, including the slain broadcaster’s deep involvement in a case and his being a colleague of Roger Mariano in dzJC. Mariano was slain on his way home in 2004.
Authorities are coordinating with the officials of the radio station and Acosta’s relatives to shed light on the stabbing.
Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil, Ilocos police director, has ordered Bolabola and Senior Superintendent Roman Felix, Ilocos Norte police director, to immediately come up with positive results in their investigation.
"We have identified a civilian suspect and he will be invited for questioning," Bolabola said.
Acosta was the 12th journalist killed this year, the 48th under the administration of President Arroyo and the 85th since the restoration of democracy in 1986 after the fall of the Marcos dictatorship. — With Teddy Molina and Myds Supnad