While the Manila press is busy with the libel spree...

While journalists in Manila are busy preparing a class civil suit against Mike Arroyo's libel spree, another community radio practitioner, who was also a peasant activist, was shot dead recently. The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility updates the earlier report made by the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters, (AMARC) on the November 27 killing of Anthony Licyayo.

Radio broadcaster-activist killed
Source: Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility

A broadcaster was gunned down by an unidentified assassin on 27 November in Cagayan, a province more than 320 kilometers north of Manila.

According to report of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters, Anthony Licyayo, 38, who is also a farmer, was on his way to attend to his rice field in Sitio Torkia, Barangay Cabaraoan, when an unknown assailant fired a shot at him, hitting him in the head.

Licyayo’s infant child who was with him was unharmed. Licyayo was chairperson of the local peasant alliance Kaguimingan, which supports the community radio, Radyo Cagayano.

Radyo Cagayano, a community radio in the town of Baggao in Cagayan, was established by the political group Bayan Muna (Nation First). On July 2, the radio station was burned down by eight armed men wearing ski masks and carrying gasoline. The radio station blamed members of the local military for the attack. The military, however, denied the
allegation.

Radyo Cagayano, a staunch advocate of peasant rights, had been critical of alleged corruption by the military.

Read more here.