Padilla: Focus on ‘internal security’ threats after Jumalon’s slay

Participants during a candle lighting event in Quezon City on Sunday, November 5, 2023 – hours after radio broadcaster Juan Jumalon was killed while on-air over Gold FM 94.7 in Misamis Occidental. Contributed by Kenosis Yap

MANILA, Philippines — The killing of radio broadcaster Juan Jumalon cries out for more attention to the Philippines’ “internal security” threats, Senator Robinhood Padilla said Monday.

“Kaawawa ang pamilya ng biktima. In shaa Allah, ang hustisya ay maibigay sa mga naulila,” the chair of the Senate committee on public  information and mass media said in a message when asked to comment on the assassination of Jumalon.

(Pity the victim’s family. In shaa Allah, justice will be given to those left behind.)

“Isang patunay ito na dapat mas pag-ukulan ng pansin ang seguridad panloob ng ating bansa. Secure what is already ours before securing what is beyond our backyard,” he added.

(This is proof that more attention should be given to the internal security of our country. Secure what is already ours before securing what is beyond our backyard.)

Dangerous country for journalists

Padilla did not expound what he meant by internal security threats. But apparently, the Philippines has long been “a dangerous country for journalists.” The problems within the Philippine media landscape looked endless.

In the 2023 Global Impunity Index by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the Philippines ranked eighth, which the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) saw as a “slight improvement” but not something deserving of praise.

The Philippines last year landed on the seventh spot on the index, but this year, its ranking went down by only one point after the entry of Haiti on the list.

“The slight improvement to 8th from 7th on the Global Impunity Index is small comfort for journalists in the Philippines,” NUJP chairperson Jonathan de Santos told the Inquirer on Friday.

Killers still unidentified

Jumalon was shot dead by a still unidentified assailant while doing a live broadcast from his radio station at his home in Barangay Don Bernardo A. Neri, Calamba, Misamis Occidental province, early Sunday morning.

READ: Media task force head says probers eyeing 4 motives in Jumalon’s killing

After killing the 57-year-old radioman, the suspect even grabbed his gold necklace before fleeing.

For Padilla, however, the stealing of the necklace could just be an apparent attempt by the killer to divert and muddle the investigation.

“Hindi maiaalis ang pulitika at sindikato bilang dahilan ng ganap,” the senator said.

(Politics and syndicates cannot be ruled out as the cause of the killing.)

Padilla also said he is hoping that the investigation by the Philippine National Police would soon reveal the real motives and perpetrators behind Jumalon’s murder.

Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, former police chief, also urged the PNP and the local police to immediately resolve the case.

“I am exhorting the PNP particularly the RD, PRO 10, and PD, Misamis Occidental to resolve this case at the soonest possible time because regardless of the real motive of the crime, people would immediately assume it to be work related and the first group of people that we don’t want to be discouraged from doing their job is the media,” dela Rosa said in a text message.

RD is Regional Director, PRO is Police Regional Office while PD is Police Director.

Jumalon’s assassination has received a similar strong condemnation from Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.