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MANILA, July 21, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - A radio broadcaster was shot and killed in the southern Philippines on Monday, the government said, adding to a long tally of media workers slain in a country ranked among the most dangerous for journalists.

The motive and identity of the person who attacked Erwin Segovia, 63, were not immediately known.

Segovia, who tackled "social issues, local governance, and community concerns" in his popular morning show, was shot dead shortly after he stepped out of Radio WOW in the city of Bislig on Mindanao island.

The gunman was one of two suspects seen by witnesses on a motorcyle, according to a presidential task force investigating attacks on journalists.

With 147 journalist killings between 1998 and 2024, the New York-based industry watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists describes the Philippines as among six "consistently deadly" countries for journalists.

Last month, the Philippine task force reported the fatal shooting in another area of Mindanao of former radio broadcaster Ali Macalintal, which it said "may be connected to the victim's previous work in media".

Most of the slain journalists in the Philippines are based in provincial areas where they run the risk of angering powerful personalities through their coverage.

Few suspects are prosecuted and convicted.

In 2009, 58 media workers were abducted and murdered in Mindanao by members of a powerful political clan while covering a local election contest.

Key members of the clan were convicted of multiple murders a decade later. 

"The safety of journalists remains a priority for the government, and justice for victims of media-related violence continues to be a national concern," task force executive director Jose Torres said in a statement Monday.