According to the NUJP, Quitasol, who is also the president of the Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club (BCBC), was walking home at 10:00pm along Quezon Hill in Baguio City, when two assailants fired at him.
Quitasol allegedly dropped to the ground when he heard the gunshot and was not hit. His wife claimed he saw two men driving off the scene on a motorcycle.
Quitasol filed a police report on March 3, however, when police searched the area, they could not find any bullet casing or fragment.
In a statement to Inquirer, Quitasol maintained that he had not received any threats prior to the attack.
This is not the first time the journalist has been targeted. Earlier this year, Quitasol was invited by the police to join a ‘dialogue’ under the Community Support Program White Area Operation (CSP-WAO). This, however, turned out to be an “offshoot of a controversial plan” by government officials to target journalists and activists suspected of sympathising with communist rebels.
The NUJP said: “An attack to one is an attack to all. We call on Baguio City Police Director, PCol. Glenn Degawan Lonogan, to immediately investigate the case and ensure the safety of every journalist in the city amidst these persistent attacks.”
The IFJ said: “The attack on Aldwin Quitasol is deeply concerning. The IFJ urges Filippino authorities to thoroughly investigate the case, punish the perpetrators and cease impunity for crimes against journalists in the Philippines.”