Philippines: Mindanao broadcaster murdered in targeted shooting

Mindanao based broadcaster Erwin Labitad Segovia was gunned down in Bislig City on July 21 by two unidentified assailants during his commute home after recording his morning radio show. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), strongly condemn his killing and urge the authorities to intensify efforts to protect journalists in the Philippines and ensure they can work without fear of intimidation and violence.

Erwin Labitad Segovia was gunned down in Bislig City by two unidentified assailants on July 21. Credit X

Segovia, a local radio broadcaster for Radio WOW FM in the Philippines' southern province of Surigao del Sur, was gunneddown in a Bislig City street. According to police reports, the journalist was shot in the head by one assailant and was killed immediately. Segovia, popularly known as 'Boy Pana', served as the host of radio program Diritsahan!,covering local governance and social-political issues in the region.

Local authorities have launched a Special Investigation Task Group to investigate the case, with a manhunt currently underway. The executive director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security said, "the safety of journalists remains a priority for the government, and justice for victims of media-related violence continues to be a national concern."

Segovia is the second journalist to be killed in the Philippines in 2025 and the fifth journalist to be killed for their work since Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office in June 2022, according to the NUJP. The killing follows the murder of Senior journalist Juan 'Johnny' Dayang on April 29, when an unknown gunman fired into his residence in Kalibo, in Aklan province, killing him instantly.

The IFJ's affiliate, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), has documented 177 media rights violations under the Marcos administration, and while Marcos has vowed to implement changes to protect media workers, these changes have yet to be introduced. In the most recent submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council on June 18, the UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression called on the administration "to carry out substantive legal, policy and institutional reforms to strengthen freedom of expression" and "end the intimidation and harassment of, threats to, and attacks on journalists".

The NUJP said: "The killing of Erwin Labitad Segovia follows a grim pattern that reflects the long-standing impunity that clouds the practice of journalism in the Philippines. If the killing is determined to be connected to his work, he would be counted as the fifth journalist murdered in the line of duty under the Marcos Jr. administration."

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: "The IFJ strongly condemns the murder of journalist Erwin Labitad Segovia and calls on the Marcos administration to take urgent and decisive action to safeguard all media workers in the Philippines, who continue to face violent attacks, threats, and intimidation for their reporting. The longstanding culture of impunity for crimes against journalists in the country must not be allowed to continue, and those responsible must be brought swiftly to justice."