LOREN HITS ATTACK ON BROADCASTER

I am outraged by the brazen attempt to murder hard-hitting radio commentator Nilo Labares in Cagayan de Oro City. The police must immediately identify and file charges against his assailants and the mastermind behind the slay try. The lead that the crime is related to his campaign against gambling in his area must be thoroughly looked into.

Attacks on journalists in the Philippines are being carried out with impunity by those who want to stop media from doing its job of exposing crimes and shenanigans in government.. They -- the killings and the intimidation of journalists -- must stop before our country is declared more dangerous to journalists than war-torn Iraq.

Failure to stop the harassment and killing of journalists constitutes by itself a positive assault on press freedom.