The killing of a provincial broadcaster on Sunday may be related to the recent Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, the Philippine Task Force on Media Security, or PTFOMS, said Monday.

Juan Jumalon, also known as DJ Johnny Walker, was hosting his Gold FM 94.7 radio program from his residence in Calamba, in the northern part of Misamis Occidental province, when he was shot dead.

In a public briefing, PTFOMS Undersecretary Paul Gutierrez said Jumalon was a respected broadcaster and his colleagues in media do not believe his death was work-related.

"There seems to be a personal, a simple personal motive here and, you're right, one angle may be related to the recent BSKE elections," Gutierrez said.

"We are giving our investigators the freedom to further investigate this incident and we will uncover all angles," he added.

Gutierrez, citing the Mindanao Independent Press Council, described Jumalon as a "decent and respectable" broadcaster.

Composite sketch released

On Monday, the Philippine National Police released to the public a composite digital sketch of one of the two suspects in the killing of the 57-year-old Jumalon.

PNP information chief and spokesperson P/Col. Jean Fajardo said the PNP Regional Forensic Unit 10 made the image, a copy of which was provided to the Misamis Occidental Provincial Police Office.

Marcos orders probe

The suspect was described as 5'5" to 5'6" tall, around 40 years old, with brown complexion. He was wearing a red hat, a green t-shirt and black shorts.

He was accompanied by a man who held at gunpoint the person who opened the gate of Jumalon's residence before sunrise Sunday. Jumalon, who sustained two gunshot wounds to the head, was declared dead on arrival at the Calamba District Hospital.

The National Bureau of Investigation, on the other hand, has started its own investigation into the attack that was caught live on CCTV camera, Department of Justice spokesperson Mico Clavano said.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. said a Special Investigation Task Group has been formed on orders of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

"The SITG has already done cross-matching of the shells and slugs found in the crime scene. Likewise, it has enhanced the recovered CCTV footage with the help of the PNP Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit," Abalos said.

The shooting was caught on video while Jumalon's program was airing live on Facebook. The gunman also grabbed the victim's necklace.

"We are now actively conducting a thorough investigation to identify the perpetrators of this crime and bring them to justice," said PRO-10 director, P/Brig. Gen. Ricardo Layug Jr.

Senate bill for journalists

Meanwhile, the passage of Senate Bill 2335, or the Journalist Protection Act, was pushed by its author, Senator Mark Villar.

SB 2335 seeks additional insurance coverage, such as disability and death benefits, and the reimbursement of medical costs for journalists and employees of media entities who become victims of violence.

A local media group said Jumalon was the fourth journalist killed since Marcos assumed office last year and the 199th since 1986 when the press regained its democratic space.

Foreign diplomats assigned to the Philippines condemned on Monday the killing of Jumalon.

The Media Freedom Coalition, a global diplomatic network of 52 countries, also extended their sympathies to the family of Jumalon.

"As members of the Media Freedom Coalition, we join the nation in condemning the murder of broadcaster Jumalon while on-air on Sunday morning in his home. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and loved ones he left behind," the MFC said in a statement.

"The blatant attack came just days after the commemoration of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists on 2 November," it added.

With Alvin Murcia, Lade Jean Kabagani and Jom Garner