A MEDIA practitioner was shot dead by two still unidentified assailants in Sorsogon City on Monday night.
The Bicol Regional Police Office has a formed a special investigation team to probe the killing of Jobert Balidoy Bercasio, alias Polpog, 39, a resident of Barangay Buenavista, Bacon District in Sorsogon City.
Police said Bercasio is affiliated with the Balangibog News Only portal.
Initial police investigation said Bercasio was driving his scooter when he was waylaid by the two assailants at around 7:55 p.m. near the XTRM Seabreeze Homes Subdivision in Barangay Cabid-an.
Bercasio sustained four gunshot wounds in different parts of his body and died on the spot.
Bicol Police Director Brig. Gen. Bartolome Bustamante ordered probers to look into the social media accounts of the victim and his posts as part of the ongoing investigation.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said Bercasio, in a post on his personal Facebook page, complained about the entry of trucks from a quarry area in Bulan town without proper documents.
“If his murder is proven to be related to his work, Bercasio would be the 17th journalist killed in the line of duty under President Rodrigo Duterte and the 189th since 1986,” the NUJP said in a statement.