Guinobatan, Albay – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office V – Bicol Region has extended immediate assistance to the grieving family of a media practitioner who tragically lost his life after being shot in Guinobatan, Albay.
According to reports, at approximately 9:00 AM on October 20, 2025, the 54-year-old radio announcer was riding his motorcycle along Barangay Morera Road in the municipality when an unidentified assailant, also on a motorcycle, opened fire at him. The victim was rushed to the hospital, but unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries.
Upon receiving the news, DSWD Bicol swiftly conducted a home visit to offer immediate support to the bereaved family. The Angels in Red Vests provided psychosocial interventions to help the family cope with the emotional trauma of losing a loved one in such tragic circumstances.
In addition, DSWD Bicol’s Crisis Intervention Section (CIS) provided technical assistance for funeral expenses, offering financial support to help with the burial arrangements.
In a statement, DSWD Bicol Regional Director Norman S. Laurio joined the public in calling for justice and an end to media harassment and killings.
“𝘐 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢. 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘢 𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘶𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘺, 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤’𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘐 𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦,” said Director Laurio.
“𝘞𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵. 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦,” RD Laurio added.
This compassionate response is in line with the directives of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to DSWD, through Secretary Rex Gatchalian, ensuring that the grieving families of crime victims receive not only material and monetary support but also emotional and social assistance. ##