Broadcaster’s killing may be related to BSKE elections — task force

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

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

In a public briefing, PTFOMS Undersecretary Paul Gutierrez said Jumalon was a respected broadcaster and that his colleagues in the 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 issue/incident, and we will uncover all angles.," he added.

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

According to the initial police findings, the assailant asked permission to enter the radio station to make an "important announcement." Then he shot Jumalon twice while the show was being livestreamed on the radio broadcaster's Facebook page.

The attacker forcibly took the victim's gold necklace and fled the scene with an accomplice who had been waiting outside the house on a motorcycle.

A video of the attack, which has since been removed from Facebook, showed Jumalon looking up at something just before two gunshots rang out.

He slumped back in his chair, visibly injured and bleeding, while background music continued to play. He was pronounced dead while being rushed to the hospital.

The ongoing investigation into Jumalon's murder has drawn attention to the situation of journalists in the Philippines, where several media workers have been killed in recent years.

Jumalon's case marks the 199th case of a journalist being killed in the Philippines since 1986, with four of these incidents occurring during the Marcos Jr. administration.

In the most recent Global Impunity Index published by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, the Philippines ranked the eighth-worst country for journalists.

When asked about the government's assistance for Jumalon's family following the broadcaster's death, Gutierrez stated that the government is coordinating with the Department of Social Welfare and Development to provide financial and other forms of support.

"We have been in touch with the office of (Undersecretary) Edu Punay, who was also a former colleague of ours in the media. I have already provided them with the family's contact number, and they are prepared to offer all the assistance that our government can provide," Gutierrez said.