Lanao del Norte radio commentator stabbed to death

COTABATO CITY, Philippines  – A radio commentator in Bacolod, Lanao del Norte was found dead at her house on Thursday.

Police said the body of Audrey Gaid Estrada, 59, of 101.3 Grace Covenant FM bore 15 stab wounds.

In an initial report, the Bacolod police said the victim, a widow, was found lying on her back on the second floor of her house in Purok 5. A 15-inch knife was recovered on the ground floor.

Probers said Estrada could have been killed between midnight and 3 a.m.

Police and local officials still have no leads on the perpetrator and the motive.

Estrada reportedly handled daily morning and afternoon programs.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos ordered the Lanao del Norte police to investigate the killing.

“Our investigators are now collating substantial pieces of evidence, including the CCTV (closed-circuit television) footage that the PNP was able to secure,” Carlos said.

He said it is early to conclude that Estrada’s death was related to her profession as a broadcast journalist.

”It is timely that we have established our pool of PNP media vanguards to focus on cases of this nature,” Carlos said. “We will determine if this is really a media-related violence, considering that a number of past victims of media killings are commentators or even blocktimers.” –  Emmanuel Tupas