Cebu City broadcaster shot

POLICE confirmed Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, the shooting of a broadcast blocktimer inside a public bus along MJ Cuenco in Barangay San Roque, Cebu City.

Police Major Edgar Labe, Waterfront Police Station 3 chief, identified the victim as Rico Osmeña. He was immediately rushed to the hospital.

Osmeña was at radio station dyLA for his radio program from 11 a.m. to 12 noon. He left the radio station at 12:15 p.m. and took a public bus.

Initial police investigation said that the gunman boarded the bus when it stopped to pick up a passenger and shot Osmeña twice. Witnesses said the gunman left onboard a motorcycle.

Osmeña is not the only radio blocktimer to have been attacked in Cebu this year.

Last July 22, radio blocktimer Reynante Cortes, 47, was shot to death in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City outside the building housing his radio station.

He had just wrapped up his commentary program at dyRB. The Cebu City Police Office has yet to charge any person for the killing, but Cortes’ wife said their family had received threats for a year.