A reporter for a government-run radio station was found dead with a gunshot wound to his chin in the northern Philippines on Wednesday, police said.
The body of Carmelo Palacios, 41, a reporter for Radyo ng Bayan in northern Nueva Ecija province, was found sprawled in front of a roadside farm in the township of Santa Rosa, 90 kilometers (55 miles) north of Manila, said Chief Superintendent Ismael Rafanan, the regional police chief.
He said there were no suspects and police did not have a motive for the killing.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said Palacios was the third reporter killed this year, and the 51st since President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo came to office in 2001.
The Philippines is considered one of the most dangerous places for reporters, who often become victims for criticizing local politicians, corruption, or the illegal drugs trade.
Aside from the gunshot wound, Palacios' teeth and jaw were broken, and he bore bruises on different parts of his body, Rafanan said.
Residents nearby reported seeing an vehicle maneuvering Tuesday night near the spot where the body was found, but no one heard any gunshots, he said, theorizing the body may have been dumped there.
Chief Superintendent Geary Barias, head of the government's task force probing a string of killings of journalists and left-wing activists, ordered an investigation.
NUJP Secretary-General Rowena Paraan said it was not known if Palacios had received any threats, but said the reporter had tackled corruption stories, without naming particular officials suspected of involvement.
