by Nava Thakuria
Geneva: The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), a global media safety and rights organization, has expressed shock over the killing of Filipino radio journalist Nestor Micator and demanded justice through a fair and credible investigation into the incident.
Micator, a news anchor and commentator with D’Empire Radio in southern Philippines, was shot dead by two unidentified assailants in the Malidegao area of Cotabato on 21 May. The 56-year-old journalist was travelling on a motorcycle with his wife when the attackers opened fire on them. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead. His wife survived the attack and is currently recovering from her injuries.
“PEC strongly condemns the murder of Nestor Micator and reiterates that the Philippines continues to be a country marked by impunity for killers of journalists. Nestor is the third journalist killed in the Philippines and the 32nd media victim worldwide since 1 January 2026. We hope the authorities will launch an all-out effort to arrest the perpetrators and ensure they are punished under the law,” said Blaise Lempen, president of PEC (pressemblem.ch).
PEC’s South and Southeast Asia representative Nava Thakuria stated that Micator was also serving as a member of the village council in Fort Pikit, where he was actively involved in resolving local disputes and community issues.
Earlier, the Catholic-majority nation had also reported the suspected killing of another radio journalist, Nichole Ledesma (30), who served as chief editor of the online media outlet Paghimutad-Negros and as a regional coordinator of the Alternative Media Network. The network focuses on issues related to land rights, labour, displacement, and renewable energy projects in the island nation.
Ledesma, who was also known as a poet and human rights activist, was among a group of people killed during an anti-insurgency operation conducted by security forces in the Toboso area on 19 April.
