Philippines’ Marcos Jnr condemns ‘brazen’ killing of journalist, orders investigation

Journalist Juan Jumalon, also known as DJ Johnny Walker, was shot by unidentified assailants while broadcasting from his home

Jumalon’s killing brings to four the number of journalists killed since Marcos Jnr took office in June last year

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Advocates for journalists’ rights hold a rally to mark World Press Freedom Day in the Philippines on May 3. The Philippines has one of Asia’s most liberal media environments, but it remains one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists, particularly in its provinces. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 5:06pm, 5 Nov 2023

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr on Sunday strongly condemned the killing of a Filipino journalist and ordered the police to conduct an investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The journalist, Juan Jumalon, also known as “DJ Johnny Walker”, was shot by unidentified assailants while broadcasting from his home in a southern Philippine town on Sunday morning, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said, citing initial reports.

“Attacks on journalists will not be tolerated in our democracy, and those who threaten the freedom of the press will face the full consequences of their actions,” Marcos said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Media watchdog NUJP also condemned the “brazen killing” which it said was caught on a livestream of Jumalon’s show. Jumalon’s home in Calamba, Misamis Occidental served as his radio station.

Police said the suspect gained entry to Jumalon’s studio by pretending to want to make an on-air announcement. He escaped and Jumalon was pronounced dead at a hospital, police said.

The attack was recorded on video, said Paul Gutierrez, the head of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security. It showed the suspect shooting the broadcaster twice and grabbing his gold necklace before leaving, Gutierrez said.

Captain Deore Ragonio, police chief in Calamba municipality, said they were investigating a motive for the killing. They were not aware of any previous threats against Jumalon’s life.