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Thursday, October 06, 2005
Police: Reporter who was shot owed drug money
DAVAO CITY -- The shooting of a media practitioner in General Santos City on Tuesday might have been because of his alleged involvement in the illegal drugs trade in the past, a policeman said Wednesday.
Senior Superintendent Willie Dangane, chief of the Regional Special Operation Group 12, said in a telephone interview that relatives of Danila Aguiree, 25, a correspondent of the local weekly tabloid Mindanao Bulletin, confirmed his past involvement in illegal drugs.
Aguirre started writing for Mindanao Bulletin some two months prior to the shooting incident the other day.
The victim reportedly owe a drug syndicate more than P100,000, the police officer added.
Dangane said they have already identified the gunman, but refused to say who he is as this might hamper ongoing police operation.
Aguirre, 25, and photographer Emmanuel Zaldivar, who both work for Mindanao Bulletin, were walking back to the office from a nearby store when a gunman armed with a .45 caliber pistol approached from behind.
His companion, a certain Emmanuel Zaldivar, turned around just in time to see the gunman point the gun at Aguirre's head. Zaldivar pushed the gunman just as he was firing his gun, hitting Aguirre on the back instead.
Zaldivar said the gunman tried to fire another round but the gun apparently jammed. The gunman, who was wearing a ski mask and a helmet, fled the scene in the ensuing scuffle. Aguirre was immediately brought to the General Santos City Doctors Hospital.
The shooting incident was the first attack against a member of the local press in General Santos since Jonathan Abayon was killed in August 2003.
Mindanao Bulletin managing editor John Paul Jubelag said they still do not have any idea who could have wanted to kill Aguirre although he admitted that they have been receiving death threats. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
(October 6, 2005 issue)
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