Journalist shot dead in GenSan

Friday, January 6, 2012

GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The publisher of a local community newspaper, who was also a blocktime commentator, was ambushed and killed by a gunman riding in tandem along Conel Road here late Thursday evening.

The victim, Christopher Guarin, sustained five gunshot wounds in different parts of his body. He was immediately brought to the General Santos (GenSan) City Hospital, but attending physicians declared him dead upon arrival.

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His wife was reportedly wounded.

Guarin and his wife were riding on their KIA Sedan when the gunman sprang an ambush.

In an interview with local reporters, his wife said Guarin was able to alight from his car and ran during the first volley of gunfire, but the gunman reportedly ran after him and shot him several times.

His wife further revealed that prior to the shooting incident, Guarin received several threats.

"Naa siya nadawat nga text nga dili siya mogawas sa bay (He received a text message warning him not to go out from our house)," the wife said.

The victim had just finished his radio program and was on his way home when ambushed and killed.

Guarin was former manager of the defunct RGMA Super Radyo and also previously worked as reporter for Bombo Radyo GenSan.

At the time of his death, he was publisher of local community newspaper Tatak News Nationwide and had a blocktime program with RMN's dxMD in this city.

Guarin is the first journalist killed in the Philippines this year and the third from the defunct RGMA Super Radyo.

In 2004, Super Radyo reporter Jonathan Abayon was shot and killed moments after leaving the old house of boxing star Manny Pacquiao.

Suspect William Bael, a former bodyguard of Pacquiao, remains at large.

In 2009, Neneng Montaño was among those killed in the Ampatuan massacre. Montaño was sales account executive and part-time reporter of Super Radyo.