Lightning Courier Weekly
February 20, 2007, in Sultan Kudarat, Philippines

Pastolero, 64, editor-in-chief of the community newspaper Lightning Courier Weekly, was shot in front of his home in Sultan Kudarat township, on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.

Pastolero was shot twice in the head by an unidentified assassin who escaped on foot, according to local media reports. Police Superintendent Joel Goltiao told local reporters that investigators had compiled a list of suspects. He declined to speculate about a possible motive. GMANews said the National Bureau of Investigation was looking into Pastolero's connection to a conflict between residential lot owners and a large private landholder.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered the Philippine National Police to investigate, and presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunyes condemned the killing.

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