By The opinion
05 Nov 2023, 22:59 PM EST
A radio presenter was shot dead this Sunday at his station in the southern Philippines, in a striking attack that was witnessed by people who followed the program live on Facebook.
An initial report from the Calamba Municipal Police Station indicated that the journalist, identified as Juan Jumalon, was broadcasting radio 94.7 Calamba Gold FM at his residence in Barangay Don Bernardo A. Neri when an unidentified gunman shot him in the head.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) to conduct a exhaustive investigation into death of radio presentersaying that the attack on the press has no place in society.
“I condemn in the strongest terms the murder of announcer Juan Jumalón,” Marcos said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
“Attacks on journalists will not be tolerated in our democracy, and those who threaten press freedom will face the full consequences of their actions,” he added.
Faced with the tragedy, by order of the government, a special investigation task force (SITG) was formed to investigate the murder of Jumalon in Misamis Occidentalas condemnations rained down regarding his shocking death while doing his show.
The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) said it has already alerted the National Bureau of Investigation to help gather evidence.
PTFoMS Executive Director Paul Gutierrez said Jumalon’s death is considered “work-related for the time being” until another reason is determined.
“We also call on our colleagues in the media and the general public not to resort to speculation or make unfounded accusations that can only distract our investigators from the true motivation for the attack on Jamalón,” Gutiérrez said.
Meanwhile, The Justice Department promised to ensure a thorough investigation and swift arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators by condemning the crime.
If found to be work-related, Jumalon’s murder would be the 199th in the Philippines since 1986.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, which released the Global Impunity Index earlier this week, “The Philippines remains a dangerous place to work as a reporter, especially for radio journalists.”
The Philippines ranked eighth among “countries with the worst records in prosecuting journalist murders.”
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