A RADIO broadcaster was shot dead yesterday by two men in Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro.
Cresenciano Aldovino Bunduquin, 50, hosted the program Balitaan at Talakayan aired over the 101.7 FM radio based in Calapan City, and a similar program at the MUX online radio.
He is the third media man slain under the administration of President Marcos Jr. The two others are radio broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa who was shot dead in October last year in Las Piñas City and radio broadcaster Renato Blanco who was stabbed dead in Mabinay, Negros Oriental in September last year.
PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr, in an ambush interview in Camp Crame, described the killing as “very unfortunate.”
Acorda also said police probers have already gathered evidence which he said may lead to the identification and arrest of the remaining suspect or suspects.
As to the motive in the killing of Bunduquin, Acorda said: “As of now, we have yet to receive a report but we have created our SITG (special investigation task group) Bunduquin that will look into this.”
Acorda said the PNP is still determining if Bunduquin’s death was work-related.
Acorda said “this country is still safe for our media men” despite the killing of Bunduquin and urged media men to coordinate with the PNP if they feel their is threat to their lives.
The Mimaropa regional police office said Bunduquin was standing in front a convenience store along C5 road in Barangay Sta Isabel when he was attacked by two suspects at around 4:20 a.m.
It said one of the suspects alighted from a white Honda XRM 125, with plate number DD 22153, approached Bunduquin, then shot him. The victim was brought to a hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.
“The back rider alighted from the motorcycle and suddenly approached the victim, shooting him several times in different parts of his body. The suspects immediately fled the scene,” a statement from the Mimaropa regional police office said.
A son of Bunduquin chased the fleeing suspects aboard his car. He “accidentally bumped” the suspects’ motorcycle, killing one of the gunmen, Narciso Ignacio Guntan, the police said. The second suspect managed to escape.
A Special Investigation Task Group (SITG), headed by Oriental Mindoro provincial police director Col. Samuel Delorino, had been formed to look into the case.
“Follow-up operations and leads from the pieces of evidence gathered at the crime scene, members of the SITG have already identified a person of interest,” said Delorino.
Mimaropa regional police director Maj. Joel Doria said they are taking the incident “very seriously.” He vowed that the PNP will “do everything in our power” to solve Bunduquin’s killing.
“Likewise, I urge the public who may have information regarding the incident to come forward to expedite the resolution of the incident,” added Doria.
