19 February 2007
Hernani Pastolero
Shooting
Hernani Pastolero, 64, was shot while sitting in front of his home in the village of Bulalo, Sultan Kudarat, about 910 kilometers southeast of Manila.
He was the first Filipino journalist killed this year. Police Superintendent Joel Goltiao said the attacker, believed to be a hired assassin, fled on foot. Inspector Ismael Mama said police had not yet determined the motive for the attack nor found any suspects. Pastolero was a radio journalist and editor of several publications before he started publishing his own weekly, the Lightning Courier. According to his daughter Eva Marie, he had never mentioned any death threats.
