Gunmen fire at Dipolog radio station, blocktimer's house

Unidentified gunmen fired at a radio station in Dipolog City and at the house of one of its blocktime commentators Saturday, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said.

 

The NUJP, in a post on its website, said the attack on dxFL-FM 88.9 occurred at 2:30 a.m. Saturday, hitting the announcer's booth.

 

It quoted Mitchel Bala, a worker at the radio station, as saying the announcer’s booth was riddled with at least five bullet holes.

 

The attack occurred two hours after shots were fired at the house of blocktime commentator Rodolfo Tanquiz in Dipolog City at 12:30 a.m. Saturday.

 

But Tanquiz said he was unharmed as he was no longer staying at his house following his release last May. Some members of Tanquiz’s family were in the house but none were harmed.

 

Last May, police had arrested Tanquiz inside the announcer’s booth in Dipolog City on World Press Freedom Day. He is out on bail.

 

Tanquiz faces a libel complaint from Zamboanga del Norte police Provincial Public Safety Company head Superintendent Reynaldo Maclang.

 

Maclang had personally arrested Tanquiz inside the announcer’s booth last May 3, when media organizations marked World Press Freedom Day.  — ELR, GMA News