A radio station in Titay, Zamboanga Sibugay was bombed on 5 April 2010, leaving one injured. Local reports indicated the attack to be politically-motivated and work-related as the station owner is a government official and the freelancers’ commentaries over the station were aggressively against his political rivals. The town of Titay is approximately 765.5 kilometers from Manila.
Two men riding in tandem on a yellow motorcycle were reported to have hurled either an improvised bomb or fragmentation grenade in front of radio station Magic 103 FM around 6:45 p.m.
Magic 103 FM is owned by Zamboanga Sibugay Gov. George Hofer, who is running for mayor of Ipil town, Zamboanga Sibugay.
Local reports also quoted station manager Kim Poras as saying they have been receiving threats due to their commentaries against the political rivals of Hofer.
The police have yet to identify the perpetrators of the bombing.
Gov. Hofer is running against incumbent Mayor Eldwin Alibutan. Hofer’s daughter, Ann is running for governor while his son, Jet, is running for a position in the Congress. Both are running against members of the Jalosjos family.
Prior to this, two unidentified men on a motorcycle assaulted on 19 March 2010 a radio reporter in Valencia City, Bukidnon, leaving the journalist and his companion injured. Valencia City is approximately 869.15 kilometers from Manila.
Arthur Sapandhari Jr., dxDB Radyo Bandilyo reporter, was driving his motorcycle along Purok 8 in Sinayawan, Valencia City from a local festival when two men knocked his bike down and struck him and his cousin who was riding with him.
The police have yet to identify Sapanghari’s attackers.
Sapanghari told CMFR in a phone interview that he suspects the assault to be work-related. He had been following up a story on public complaints against a piggery owner. Because of his reports, local authorities had the piggery closed down.
A few days after the incident, Sapaghari filed a report with the Valencia City police and went back to work. He has also removed stickers on his motorcycle identifying him as a media worker.
"After the massacre in Maguindanao, it’s no longer people who’re afraid of the media. It’s the media who’re afraid of people," he said.
