Jesus “Jess” Malabanan, a correspondent for the Manila Standard, Bandera, and Reuters, was shot dead inside their store in Calbayog, Western Samar at around 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
Malabanan, 58, died instantly from a head shot, his wife Mila said.
“We were watching television when a shot rang at close range. I didn’t see the gunman because it was dark,” Mila said.
The Pampanga Press Club condemned the killing and urged the Philippine National Police to get Malabanan’s killers and put them behind bars.
“The Pampanga Press Club condemns in the strongest terms the killing of one of its members Jesus ‘Jess’ Malabanan, correspondent of Manila Standard,” it said.
“Jess to many among us, a long-time reporter and stringer for many media outfits for many years, had proven himself to be a man dedicated to his duties as a journalist,” the press club added.
Per initial reports, Jess was shot in the vicinity of their residence in Samar by unidentified gunmen on the early evening of December 8, it said.
“We call on the Philippine National Police and other authorities to help in the prompt investigation that would lead to the arrest of the perpetrators of this cowardly act in the interest of justice,” they said.
Malabanan was a defense reporter until the 1990s, when he moved to Angeles, Pampanga. He and his wife had recently recovered from COVID-19, and Jess regularly made trips back to Samar.