Gunmen kill radio commentator in south Philippines

MANILA, July 18 (Reuters) Two gunmen on a motorcycle shot and killed a Philippine radio commentator on the southern island of Mindanao, the eighth murder of a journalist this year, police said today.

Armando Pace was on his way home today after his 30-minute programme for Radio Ukay when he was shot at close range on a busy road in downtown Digos City, said Ricardo Quinto, the police chief of the Davao region.

At least 82 journalists have been killed in the Philippines since 1986, when the country won back democracy in a popular revolt that ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Most of the murders were related to investigations of graft, narcotics and other illegal activities.

Despite government promises to stop the killings and cash rewards, only three media murders have been solved by police.

Pace, 51, who had bragged on his show that he was the most sued broadcaster with 99 libel cases for his reports on local politicians, died on the way to hospital from three bullet wounds in the neck and chest, Quinto said.

''We're still investigating to find out if the killing was work related,'' Quinto told reporters.

The Philippines is the most dangerous country in the world to be a journalist in terms of the number of killings, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.

Pace's murder came a month after husband-and-wife radio commentators were ambushed by two motorcycle-riding gunmen near Kidapawan City in the Cotabato region of Mindanao.

Joe Torres, a spokesman for the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines, said Pace was the 45th journalist to be murdered since President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo came to power in January 2001.

Torres said about 10 journalists were killed in the line of duty last year.

REUTERS SHB RK1642