MANILA, Philippines, Nov 5, 2023 (AFP) – A radio broadcaster was fatally shot inside his studio in the Philippines on Sunday, police said, the latest in a long list of journalists killed in the country.
Juan Jumalon, 57, was in his home-based studio on the southern island of Mindanao when a gunman shot him in the head, said Captain Deore Ragonio, police chief in Calamba municipality.
Jumalon is the fourth journalist to be slain since President Ferdinand Marcos took office in June of 2022, the National Union of Journalists said, condemning “the brazen killing”.
The archipelago nation is one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists, and their killers often go unpunished.
Radio broadcasters outside the capital are frequently the target.
Marcos condemned the “murder” of Jumalon and ordered the authorities to “swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice”.
“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 social media.
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.
“While the motive is yet to be determined, we consider this incident as ‘work-related’ for the moment,” Gutierrez said in a statement.
Police chief Ragonio said they were investigating a motive for the killing. They were not aware of any previous threats against Jumalon’s life.
“He tackles mostly current events and is not known to have criticised anyone in his broadcasts,” Ragonio told AFP.
Jumalon used the name “DJ Johnny Walker” in his Cebuano-language show at the 94.7 Gold FM Calamba station.
His broadcasts were also aired on the station’s Facebook page, which has 2,400 followers.
