Aiming for democracy, President Marcos asks that the crime be clarified quickly. The reason is unclear. It is the fourth murder of journalists since Marcos took office in the middle of last year.
A presenter was shot dead during a radio program in the southern Philippines. Under the pretext, a man gained access to the studio of Juan Jumalon (57) at his home in Calamba, in the province of Misamis Occidental, police said. “Once inside, for no apparent reason, he pulled out his firearm and shot the victim,” police said. The bullet hit the lower lip and pierced the skull.
The suspect fled and the presenter was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Initially there was no information about the perpetrator’s possible motives. According to the National Union of Philippine Journalists (NUJP), Jumalon worked for the broadcaster 94.7 Calamba Gold FM and was also known as DJ Johnny Walker.
Journalists live dangerously in the Philippines
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. condemned the act and called on the police to quickly bring the perpetrator to justice. “Attacks on journalists will not be tolerated in our democracy,” Marcos wrote on the short messaging service X.
According to the NUJP, Jumalon is the fourth journalist killed since Marcos took office in the middle of last year, and the 199th since 1986, when the dictator Ferdinand Marcos, father of the current president, was deposed. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, a US-based non-governmental organization, the Southeast Asian country is one of the most dangerous places for reporters, especially radio journalists. (APA)