NUJP: Davao radio commentator gets death threat

A radio commentator based in Mati City in Davao del Sur received a death threat through  text message Thursday, two days after a radio reporter was killed in Mati, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said. Lito Labra, a commentator on a daily radio program from 7:00 to 8:30 a.m. at 91.5 dxWM-Sunrise FM in Mati, said he received a threatening text message, minutes after his morning board. “P**tang ina ka! Dapat ikaw ang namatay dili si Nestor (Libaton) nga bootan. ‘Tong amigo nimo sa GenSan dapat una ka ato. Sige ka balik-balik sa mining kay wala kay S.O.P., sige lang ug dili ka namo mabaslan naa man kay pamilya," the NUJP quoted the text message as saying (You’re a son of a b**ch! You should have been the one who died and not Nestor Libaton who was a good man. You should have died ahead of your friend in General Santos city. You keep on talking about mining because you have not received any S.O.P. [bribe money]. If we can’t get you, we can get your family). The NUJP quoted Labra as saying he discussed illegal mining, illegal logging and the recent death of broadcast reporter Nestor Libaton on his program. Labra said he has reported the threat to the local police and has altered his routes. He had been altering his routes since he received threats starting February, when he discussed illegal mining and logging activities in Mati. The NUJP said Labra could not identify a specific suspect but said he received reports that a  group was out to kill him on orders of a mining company which is illegally operating in Mati. The NUJP quoted Labra as saying he confronted a mining company official who denied that their company has paid off a group to have him killed. Labra said there are a number of mining firms he usually criticizes on-air for their illegal mining operations. — LBG, GMA News