Journalists Killed in 2011 - Motive Unconfirmed: Maria Len Flores Somera

Committee to Protect Journalists, Journalists Killed in 2011 - Motive Unconfirmed: Maria Len Flores Somera, 20 December 2011, https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/cpj/2011/en/77046 [accessed 20 April 2024]
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DZME
March 24, 2011, in Malabon City, Philippines

An unidentified gunman shot Somera, host of a public affairs program, before fleeing the scene in a Jeep, according to The Associated Press. Somera, a 44-year-old mother of three, died on the way to a local hospital from a gunshot wound to the head.

Police Chief Nicanor Bartolome said investigators were looking into a land dispute involving Somera. She was the president of a local housing association and discussed her work with the group on the air. Agence France-Presse, citing a statement from DZME, said the journalist's radio broadcasts covered the conditions of disadvantaged people in the Philippines. She also frequently criticized officials for failing to provide adequate public services, Reuters reported.

Motive Unconfirmed: CPJ is investigating to determine whether the death was work-related.

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