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Manila - Gunmen opened fire on a coffee shop owned by an investigative journalist in Manila on Friday, in the latest apparent act of intimidation against members of the press in the country.
No one was injured when two gunmen on motorcycles shot out the windows of the cafe of radio and television broadcaster Anthony Taberna before dawn, police Superintendent Christian De La Cruz said.
Taberna, who works for ABS-CBN Network, has investigated allegations of corruption, including recent pieces on the generous remuneration of consultants employed by senators and congressmen.
"If their intention is to intimidate and stop me, they are wrong," he said in a radio interview shortly afterwards. "My principle is very simple, do what is right and reject what is wrong."
The Philippines is ranked 141th out of 180 countries by the World Press Freedom index, with 30 members of the press killed since President Benigno Aquino took office in 2010 according to the National Union of Journalist, including six this year.
Most of the victims were provincial broadcasters and print reporters, as well as some outlet publishers.
On Thursday, a radio broadcaster in the southern city of Ozamiz was shot dead by a lone assailant.
Last week two journalists were killed by unidentified gunmen, one in the eastern province of Sorsogon another in Davao in the south.
