Radio broadcaster killed in Misamis Occidental

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 at his home-based radio station on the southern island of Mindanao when a gunman shot him in the head, said Captain Deore Ragonio, police chief in Calamba municipality in Misamis Occidental province.

The suspect gained entry to the studio by pretending to want to make an on-air announcement, a police statement said.

He escaped, and Jumalon was pronounced dead at a local hospital, the statement added.

Jumalon is the fourth journalist to be slain since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office in June 2022, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines 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.

The head of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security condemned the “dastardly attack” and called for the formation of a police task force to probe the killing.

“While the motive is yet to be determined, we consider this incident ‘work-related’ for the moment,” Undersecretary Paul Gutierrez said in a statement.

In addition to offering Jumalon’s family his sympathies, Marcos promised that the government would keep a close eye on the matter in order to bring justice to the victim.

Gutierrez said the attack was recorded on video, which showed the suspect shooting the broadcaster twice and grabbing his gold necklace before leaving.

Jumalon used the name “DJ Johnny Walker” at his Cebuano-language 94.7 Gold FM Calamba station.

Ragonio said police 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.

The broadcasts are also aired on the station’s Facebook page, which has 2,400 followers.

with a report from Carl Santos