A van owned by journalist Dr. Manny Jaudian was torched by unidentified persons on the tourist island of Camiguin, Philippines, on Friday morning, May 9. Police teams have been deployed to investigate the incident, with the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP CIDG) handling the case. The suspects set fire to the van, which was parked beside Jaudian’s house in Sagay, at around 2 am, and fled the scene. Jaudian, executive director and past president of the Cagayan de Oro Press Club, was shaken but unharmed. A bottle of vinegar smelling of gasoline was found near the van, and Jaudian had been discussing political dynasties and vote-buying in Camiguin prior to the incident. The Cagayan de Oro Press Club and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines-Cagayan de Oro chapter have condemned the attack, calling it a “cowardly” act of terrorism against the free press. Camiguin Governor Xavier Jesus Romualdo has denied his family’s involvement in the incident and urged all parties to await the outcome of the police investigation.
