MANILA - A veteran newspaper columnist in the Philippines was in a critical condition after he was shot in the face during a robbery yesterday, police said.

Nixon Kua, 49, was "hit on the face and different parts of his body" by one of four gunmen who attacked him and his brother at an exclusive gated housing enclave near the capital Manila, police said in a statement.

His brother was also shot several times in the body, but was later proclaimed out of danger at a hospital.

The motive for the attack was unlikely connected to Kua's work as a journalist for tabloid Pilipino Star Ngayon, which is owned by one of the country's leading publishers, police said.

Kua was also formerly a stringer for international news agencies, as well as head of a government bureau promoting tourism.

Police said the four men snatched a bag from Kua's daughter containing about 2,000 dollars before they fled, leading investigators to believe the motive was purely robbery.

Outspoken journalists are routinely attacked in the Philippines, which is rated by watchdog groups as one of the most dangerous places for members of the press.

Four journalists have been killed since January, raising the total number of media workers murdered in the Philippines to 153 since democracy was restored in 1986, according to rights groups.*AFP

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