Int’l community deplores killing of Filipino radio broadcaster
AMBASSADORS of western democracies, including the European Union, France, the United Kingdom (UK), and Germany, have strongly condemned the killing of a Filipino radio commentator during his live broadcast in Misamis Occidental last Sunday and called for an end to all forms of impunity in the Philippines.
Radio broadcaster Juan T. Jumalon, 57, died on the spot after being shot in the head while broadcasting in his home-based radio station, 97.4 Gold FM, in the town of Calamba, Misamis Occidental.
Journalists must be able to “do their job free of violence,” UK Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils said in an X post, noting that a “free media is the cornerstone of democracy.” “I am shocked by the murder of Juan Jumalon. I call on the (Philippine) authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice promptly,”
French Ambassador Marie Fontanel of France said a “constant fight against impunity is the only way” to protect journalists, lawyers or human rights defenders and “secure democracy based on the rule of law.”
“Free and independent journalism is the basis of a vibrant and lively democracy. Impunity must not be tolerated,” German Ambassador Andreas Pfaffernoschke said.
On Monday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) released a computer-generated image of the gunman who shot and killed Mr. Jumalon, who used “Johnny Walker” as his name in his radio programs.
Interior Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos said the newly created Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) that is tracking down the perpetrator has been named “SITG Johnny Walker” and stressed upon the PNP President Ferdinand R. Marcos’ order to bring the culprit to justice.
Brig. Gen. Ricardo G. Layug, Jr., director of the Police Regional Office 10 based in Cagayan de Oro City, said local case investigators are looking into four possible motives behind the murder but declined to give details.
The Philippines has remained on the Committee to Protect Journalists’ (CPJ) list of countries where killings of journalists go unpunished.
In the CPJ’s 2023 Global Impunity Index, the Philippines ranked eighth. The country lagged behind Myanmar but was ahead of Mexico
The index took into consideration the deliberate killings of journalists in relation to their work from Sept. 1, 2013 to Aug. 31, 2023. Manila’s death toll increased to 20 this year from 14 last year, it noted.
“While Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has adopted a more conciliatory approach toward the media since becoming president in June 2022, CPJ reported that a culture of self-censorship persists and Marcos’ change in tone has not yet been accompanied by substantive actions to undo the damage wrought to press freedom under the Rodrigo Duterte administration,” it said.
Meanwhile, a coalition of 52 countries across the world advocating for media freedom raised serious concerns about the murder of Mr. Jumalon and welcomed the commitment of Philippine authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.
In a statement, the Media Freedom Coalition said it is crucial for the government to pursue a swift and transparent investigation “to prevent the chilling effect such violence can have on the ability of journalists to report news freely and safely.”
It also urged the Philippine government to “take further actions to create a safe environment for journalists to carry out their work without fear for their lives and safety, and to address impunity for crimes against them.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and John Felix M. Unson
