Bicolano broadcaster Noel Bellen Samar dies after gun attack
MANILA, Philippines — After sustaining gunshot wounds from an unidentified gunman, local broadcaster Noel Bellen Samar died on Tuesday afternoon, October 21, according to the police's Special Investigation Task Group.
Fifty-four-year-old Samar, who served as a radio reporter for Kadunong Internet TV and 92.3 DWIZ, was shot at around 9:05 a.m. on Monday, October 20, in Guinobatan, Albay.
He sought treatment from the Bicol Regional Hospital and Medical Center and was scheduled for surgery after sustaining four gunshot wounds in the chest and abdomen.
Task Group spokesperson Major Maria Luisa Tino confirmed that the broadcaster died around 2:20 p.m. on Tuesday.
Journalists demand investigation
In a statement, the Commission to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on authorities to act swiftly in investigating the shooting incident, urging the president to demonstrate his commitment to ending impunity.
“Until President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration demonstrates that it is serious about ending impunity, these types of wanton attacks on journalists will persist,” CPJ senior Southeast Asia representative Shawn Crispin said.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines Albay Chapter also condemned Samar’s killing, pressing authorities to determine whether the attack was related to his work as a journalist.
It said that “such an attack would not only be a personal injustice but a direct assault on press freedom in the province.”
Government vows justice
The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFOMS) extended its condolences to Samar’s family and friends, assuring them that the Special Investigation Task Group is working closely with the police to make sure justice is served.
“We stand in solidarity with journalists across the nation during these difficult times, reaffirming our steadfast commitment to upholding press freedom and ensuring the safety of all media workers,” PTFOMS Executive Director Jose Torres Jr. said.
The Philippines ranked ninth in the 2024 Impunity Index, which tracks countries where killers of journalists are most likely to go unpunished.
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