Photojournalist’s nephew, 4, dies days after ambush

MANILA, Philippines — A nephew of photojournalist Rene Joshua Abiad, who was ambushed last week, has died, according to a report yesterday.

Abiad’s four-year-old nephew, who was in critical condition at an undisclosed hospital, died on Saturday night, ABS-CBN News reported.

The boy, along with Abiad, 37, who works for Remate online; Renato Abiad Jr., 41; Cheryl Abiad, 42; Elizabeth Abiad, 37; two minors and bystander Jeffrey Ngo Cao, 47,  had been wounded when still unidentified assailants fired at their vehicle as they were about to enter their residence in Barangay Masambong, Quezon City at around 3 p.m. on June 29.

While the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) has yet to confirm the report, sources said the boy’s remains will be brought to the family’s home province.

Yesterday, Philippine National Police public information office chief Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan said investigators are looking into possible suspects in the shooting.

“They have multiple promising leads that are being looked into by the investigators,” Maranan said in Filipino during a dzBB interview.

He added that all resources of the QCPD are being used by the special investigation task force to probe the shooting.

“The evidence points to the motive. For now, we do not want to publicize the motive, because it might preempt the result of our investigation and it might alert the people who are involved,” he said.

Assistance

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development assured Presidential Task Force on Media Security executive director Paul Gutierrez of continued assistance to journalists during Gutierrez’s courtesy call on Friday, when DSWD Undersecretary for special concerns Edu Punay was also present.

Gutierrez and Punay had been journalists prior to being appointed to their respective government posts.

Punay reported that since the start of the Marcos administration up to last month, 1,025 members of the press and their families – 689 in 2022 and 389 so far this year – were assisted by the DSWD’s media welfare division, which Punay heads. — Artemio Dumlao