A publisher of a local newspaper in the province of Catanduanes was shot by two men in front of the Land Transportation Office in Virac Monday.

Supt. Maria Luisa Calubaquib, Bicol Police spokesperson, said Larry Que, 54, was shot by two men wearing bonnet and helmet on a motorcycle around 9:30am.

Que, publisher of the two-week old, Catanduanes News Now, died in the hospital, a regional spokesperson of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), said..

“The victim was rushed to Eastern Bicol Medical Center (EBMC) Hospital, Virac, Catanduanes for immediate medical attention while the suspects while the suspects fled towards unknown direction after the incident,” Calubaquib said.

Ramil Soliveres of NUJP-Catanduanes said the victim died around 1:45 am Tuesday. The NUJP said it is the first case of media killing under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Soliveres said the incident happened after Que’s paper “carried a column he wrote criticizing the perceived negligence that allowed a recently discovered shabu lab to be set up in the province.”

The shabu laboratory, which is said to produce 9.6 tons of methamphetamine hydrochloride a month, was discovered by authorities early December.

In a statement, Soliveres said “the murder of Que has sown fear within the local media community.”

“In his column in the two-week old Catanduanes News Now, Que, writing in Bicolano, railed at the shame the discovery of the laboratory had brought the province and blamed the perceived negligence of local government leaders,” he added.

Soliveres added Catanduanes Governor Joseph Cua said he respected the newspaper publisher despite their acknowledged differences on many issues. Robina Asido/DMS