Murder of radio show host who was also a lawyer

Policeman arrested for journalist’s murder Reporters Without Borders notes that a police officer, Darwin Quimoyog, has been arrested for the murder of journalist and lawyer Crispin Perez in his home in San Jose (in Mindoro Occidental province) on 9 June. Quimoyog, who was identified by Perez’s wife, worked as a bodyguard for a local politician whose company was criticised by Perez on the air. ------ Reporters Without Borders urges the authorities to react with the utmost firmness to today’s murder of Crispin Perez in his home in San Jose (in western Mindoro Occidental province). Perez was shot twice and stabbed twice by an unidentified assailant shortly after hosting his morning programme on local radio DWDO. “The police must consider all the possibilities,” Reporters Without Borders said. “Perez was a lawyer and a former provincial vice-governor, but it may have been the content of his programmes that led to his murder. The central government must assign substantial resources to this investigation.” Perez’s murder comes just six days after crime reporter Jojo Trajano’s death in a shootout between police and gang members in a Manila suburb. Mindoro Occidental governor Josephine Sato said today’s murder was carried out by a man who “posed as a client and stabbed Perez in the back.” Aged 66, Perez was rushed to St. Mary Magdalene hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. “I strongly believe that this is politically motivated,” Sato said, noting that Perez made many enemies by criticising a contract which a local cooperative signed with an influential privately-owned company.” Provincial police chief Ceasar Miranda said the police were looking for an unidentified suspect who fled on a motorcycle.