ILOILO City – The ambush of a veteran radio broadcaster in Roxas City has prompted the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) to intensify its security assistance program for journalists, urging media practitioners facing threats to seek police protection as authorities pursue gunmen who attacked broadcaster Jay Lavapiez on Monday morning.
Lavapiez, a radio anchor and former station manager of RMN Iloilo, survived an apparent assassination attempt. Two unidentified motorcycle-riding men opened fire on his vehicle while he was traveling to work at around 5:40 a.m. along the national highway in Barangay Cagay, Roxas City.
Investigators recovered four spent shells at the scene.
The attack triggered an immediate response from PRO-6, with regional director Police Brigadier General Randulf Tuaño reminding journalists and other individuals facing credible threats that police security measures are available to help prevent similar incidents.
“Any member of the media who receives threats should immediately report these to the police so that appropriate security measures can be provided,” Tuaño said.
According to Tuaño, media practitioners who believe they are under threat may coordinate with police authorities and Public Information Officers for threat assessment and security assistance. He said the director of the Police Security and Protection Group may authorize up to 30 days of security coverage while an application for protection is being evaluated.
Police said initial investigation showed that two suspects riding a motorcycle intercepted Lavapiez’s vehicle and fired at it before escaping.
Witnesses also reported seeing several individuals loitering near the roadside as early as 4 a.m., raising suspicions that the attack may have been premeditated.
Despite the gun attack, Lavapiez escaped unharmed and is now in safe condition, authorities said.
PRO-6 scondemned the attack and assured the public that all available resources would be mobilized to identify and arrest those responsible.
“We assure the victim, his family, the media community, and the public that PRO-6 will pursue this case with urgency, firmness, and accountability. No effort will be spared in bringing those responsible to justice,” Tuaño said.
The regional police chief immediately ordered the creation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to focus on the swift resolution of the case.
The team will be headed by the Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division and will include personnel from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit-6, and the Provincial Intelligence Unit of the Capiz Police Provincial Office.
Investigators are pursuing all possible leads while working to determine the motive behind the attack. Authorities said both work-related and personal circumstances are being examined.
“At this stage, we cannot conclusively determine the motive. Investigators are looking into two possible angles — whether the incident is related to his work as a broadcaster or to personal circumstances,” Tuaño said.
Tuaño also directed the Capiz Police Provincial Office and the Roxas City Police Station to conduct a comprehensive investigation aimed at identifying the suspects and ensuring the immediate resolution of the case.
“I have directed the Capiz Police Provincial Office and Roxas City Police Station to immediately conduct a thorough, swift, and intelligence-driven investigation to identify and arrest the perpetrators, determine the motive behind the attack, and ensure the immediate resolution of the case,” he said.
PRO-6 appealed to the public to cooperate with authorities by providing information that could help identify the gunmen and solve the case, as concerns mount over the safety of journalists and media workers in the region./PN
