Misamis Occidental radio broadcaster gunned down while on air

MANILA, Philippines (Update 2: 3:59 p.m.) — A radio broadcaster in Misamis Occidental was gunned down while hosting his program early Sunday morning. 

Juan Tumpag Jumalon was shot in the head by an unidentified lone attacker while he was airing his program. He was the fourth journalist to be killed since Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. took office in June 2022.

According to a report by the Calamba Municipal Police Station, the suspect with a pistol entered the gate of Jumalon’s house, which also served as the radio station of Gold FM 94.7. He approached Jumalon inside the broadcast booth, fired twice, grabbed his gold necklace and ran away. The gun attack was captured on a livestream of his show.

Jumalon owned the 94.7 FM Gold Radio Calamba, located at his residential yard in Barangay Don Bernardo A. Neri in Calamba.

In a report to Brig. Gen. Ricardo Layug, Jr., director of the Police Regional Office-10 in Cagayan de Oro City, the police said Jumalon died on the spot from two bullet wounds in his face.

“After the incident, [the] suspect fled away to [an] unknown direction,” the police said, adding that they initiated a dragnet operation and set up checkpoints to apprehend the suspect.

Jumalon's family and barangay emergency responders immediately brought him to Calamba Medical Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival by attending physician Geopeter Manisan.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines condemned the killing of Jumalon, also known as “DJ Johnny Walker.”

“Jumalon's killing is the 199th since 1986 and the fourth under the present administration,” the NUJP said. 

In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office said that Marcos condemns the killing of Jumalon, saying that “senseless attacks against journalists have no place in a democratic country.”

The chief executive also ordered the PNP to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and ensure that the perpetrator is held accountable.

The fatal attack occurred during the same week as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.

The Philippines is one of the most dangerous countries for journalists, especially for radio journalists. Journalists outside the capital were often the targets of fatal attacks.

The country ranked eighth in the 2023 Global Impunity Index by New York-based media watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists. The NUJP earlier said the slight improvement to eighth from seventh place provided “small comfort” for Filipino journalists. 

Meanwhile, in the World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Philippines ranked 132nd out of 180 countries. The watchdog noted the country remains a “difficult” country for media workers.  — With reports from John Unson