Local police in General Santos City, South Cotabato province are investigating the killing of a radio blocktimer and
columnist at a radio compound on 13 March 2010.

The lifeless body of Chito Abuzo was found at around 11 p.m. (local time) at a building in the compound of dxGS radio station
in General Santos City, a city approximately 1,049 kilometers south of Manila. Abuzo, also a columnist in the local tabloid "Sapol"
("Hit"), had allegedly been beaten to death by four men with a concrete block. Blocktimers are individuals who lease airtime to
broadcast their own program in local radio stations.

City Police Director Senior Superintendent Marcelo Pintac told the "Philippine Daily Inquirer" newspaper on 15 March that the
police are pursuing leads to the whereabouts of  the four suspects, but refused to identify them. Pintac told the "Inquirer" that
the killing might have been motivated by personal grudge.

In a 16 March 2010 interview with the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, "Sapol" and "Mindanao Inquirer" publisher
John Paul Jubelag said that based on their investigation Abuzo and
the suspects had an altercation prior to the killing.

Witnesses said the victim fell to the ground after the suspects punched and hit him with a bottle on the head.  As he lay on the
ground, one of the suspects hit him with a five-kilo concrete block.

Jubelag said the suspect who hit Abuzo with the concrete  block is the lover of a certain "Gigi", another blocktimer Abuzo
was allegedly courting. "Someone heard 'Gigi' being mentioned during the altercation. There are rumors that Abuzo was allegedly
pursuing the suspect's lover," Jubelag added.

The suspects remain at large as of press time. If work-related, Abuzo will be the 115th journalist/media worker killed in the line of duty since 1986 and the 77th killed
during the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The number of work-related killings of journalists and media workers in the Philippines surged in 2009 after 32 journalists and media workers covering the filing of a local politician's
Certificate of Candidacy were killed in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao, along with the politician's wife, relatives and supporters.