Manila, May 28 (IANS): A Filipino journalist was shot dead by an unknown assailant in Manila, officials said on Saturday.

The incident occurred in a street in Manila's Quiapo district when the victim, reporter Alex Balcoba, was shot in the head while talking on the phone on Friday night, Police Chief Inspector John Guiagui told state-run DzBB radio.

Balcoba, 56, who worked for the Brigada daily, was taken to hospital, where he died shortly afterwards.

The victim was also the director of the Manila Police District Press Corps, a group of journalists accredited by the Manila Police District.

The murders of Filipino journalists who criticise local politicians or investigate corruption are a frequent occurrence in the country.

Seven journalists were killed in the Philippines in 2015, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

In its latest report, the IFJ said the Philippines had the second largest number of journalists murdered since 1990, surpassed only by Iraq.