(CMFR/IFEX) – Two gunmen on a motorcycle killed and robbed a former radio and newspaper reporter on 7 December 2006 in his farm in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, a province north of Manila. Ponciano Grande, who had worked for “The Recorder” and “The Nueva Ecija Times”, died from five bullet wounds fired from a .45-caliber […]
(CMFR/IFEX) – Two gunmen on a motorcycle killed and robbed a former radio and newspaper reporter on 7 December 2006 in his farm in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, a province north of Manila.
Ponciano Grande, who had worked for “The Recorder” and “The Nueva Ecija Times”, died from five bullet wounds fired from a .45-caliber pistol. Annie Liwag, Grande’s common-law partner who hosts a program on radio station dwJJ, said the gunmen were in their late teens.
Liwag said the assailants took P174,000 (approx. US$3,480) from Grande. The money was supposed to pay for expenses in the farm.
Grande used to write for the two community papers and served as assistant information writer for provincial radio station dwNE until 2000, when he and Liwag decided to give full attention to their farm. Grande was also a board director of the Nueva Ecija Press Club (NEPC) from 1992 to 1993.
Liwag said she believes the killing was not related to Grande’s previous work as a journalist. He did not receive any threats before he was killed.
“My husband (was) a good person. He (was) very friendly and I do not think he had any enemies,” Liwag said.
“Philippine Daily Inquirer” correspondent Anselmo Roque said Grande did not write controversial articles as a journalist.
Jojo de Guzman, NEPC president, said the police are considering robbery as the reason for Grande’s killing.
Even so, de Guzman said, “At present, we are urging the police to investigate further the motive behind the killing.”
