General Santos City, Philippines - A 38-year-old Filipino broadcast journalist was in critical condition after being shot by unidentified gunmen in the southern Philippines, police said Tuesday.

Dennis Cuesta was on his way to a mall with a colleague when two suspects aboard a motorcycle opened fire at him in General Santos City, 1,065 kilometres south of Manila, on Monday.

Senior Superintendent Robert Po, city police director, said Cuesta suffered three gunshot wounds, including one to the head. Cuesta's companion was unhurt.

Doctors were able to remove the bullet from the head wound, but Cuesta remained in critical condition, according to surgeon Orlando Mirabueno.

Po said that prior to the shooting, Cuesta had asked for police protection after receiving death threats and noticing that suspicious men were trailing him.

Cuesta also applied for a firearms license and permit to carry.

Po said investigators were looking into the possibility that the attack was a result of Cuesta's involvement in a controversial land case against an influential businessman in General Santos City.

"It came out in our initial investigation that Cuesta had been asked by one of the parties involved in the case to stop his harsh commentaries," Po said.

Two journalists have been killed in the Philippines this year. Last year, four journalists were murdered, while 13 were slain in 2006.

Most of the previous killings and attacks against journalists in the Philippines have remained unresolved. (dpa)