A global media watchdog has urged Philippine authorities to ensure justice for radio broadcaster Noel Bellen Samar, who was shot and killed this week in Albay province.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called on the government to carry out a “thorough investigation” into the attack, saying it must determine whether the journalist’s work was the motive behind the killing — a recurring pattern in the country.
“The brutal murder of Filipino radio journalist Noel Bellen Samar must not go unpunished,” said Cédric Alviani, RSF’s Asia-Pacific Bureau Director. “We urge the Philippine Department of Justice to conduct a thorough investigation and swiftly identify both the perpetrators and any possible masterminds behind this heinous crime.”
RSF stressed that investigators must take into account Samar’s journalistic work as a possible motive behind the attack, citing the persistent violence faced by media workers in the Philippines.
Samar, 54, was driving along Maharlika Highway in Guinobatan, Albay, when an unidentified gunman opened fire on October 20, hitting him multiple times in the chest and abdomen.
He was brought to the hospital in critical condition and died the following day after a medical procedure.
He was a presenter for DWIZ radio station and hosted programs on Kadunong ITV, an online radio platform.
The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFOMS) confirmed his death on October 21 and announced the creation of a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG “Samar”) to handle the case.
“Our Special Investigation Task Group is working in collaboration with the Philippine National Police to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice,” said Usec. Jose Torres Jr., executive director of PTFOMS.
Torres expressed condolences to Samar’s family, friends, and colleagues, saying the case “highlights the challenges faced by our media practitioners in their pursuit of truth and accountability.”
He reaffirmed the government’s “steadfast commitment to upholding press freedom and ensuring the safety of all media workers.”
RSF noted that Samar’s death brings to eight the number of radio journalists killed since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office in 2022.
Two of the killings have been confirmed as work-related, while six — including Samar’s — remain under investigation.
The organization said that in the Philippines, where communities are scattered across thousands of islands, radio remains a lifeline for information, especially in rural areas. But outspoken broadcasters often face violent reprisals.
RSF recalled that in October 2022, radio commentator Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa was shot dead near his home in Manila.
The gunman was sentenced in May 2025 to 16 years in prison, but “the mastermind of the crime still remains at large.”
Since the restoration of democracy in 1986, at least 147 journalists have been killed in the Philippines, and one journalist, Frenchie Mae Cumpio, remains in detention.
In its 2025 World Press Freedom Index, RSF ranked the Philippines 116th out of 180 countries, describing it as among the most dangerous places in the world for journalists.
