INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc have filed a resolution asking the House of Representatives to condemn the killing of radio broadcaster Juan Jumalon, who was shot dead while he was on air.
According to ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro, she and other Makabayan bloc members — Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas and Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel — filed House Resolution No. 1427 last Monday, which also calls on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration to swiftly resolve the case.
Castro’s office released copies of the resolution on Friday.
“Now therefore be it resolved, that the House of Representatives, through this Resolution, condemn in strongest terms the extrajudicial killing of radio broadcaster Juan Tumpang Jumalon, also known as DJ Johnny Walker,” the lawmakers said in the resolution.
“Be it further resolved, that the House of Representatives urge the Marcos administration to immediately investigate his murder, to hold accountable those responsible, and to take concrete steps to stop media killings and such other attacks against free speech and press freedom,” they added.
READ: Radio anchor shot dead during live broadcast in Misamis Occidental
Makabayan said that while Marcos’ condemnation of the incident is welcome, no resolution has been reached with the other incidents where media workers were killed — like in the case of radioman Percival Mabasa, who was shot dead last October 3, 2022, while he was outside the Las Piñas subdivision that he lives in.
“Though President Marcos, Jr. stated that ‘the attacks on journalists will not be tolerated in our democracy and those who threaten the freedom of the press will face the full consequences of their actions’, there are still no convictions and few updates in the other killings of journalists who were killed under his administration, namely Percival Mabasa, Rey Blanco, and Cris Bundoquin,” they said.
“The Philippines is still one of the most dangerous countries for journalists. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)’s Global Impunity Index, the Philippines ranked as the eighth country with the worst record on prosecuting killers of journalists,” they added.
READ: Bongbong Marcos orders PNP to probe broadcaster’s killing in Misamis Occidental
Reports said that Jumalon was shot dead after two still unidentified individuals entered his home at Purok-6, Barangay Don Bernardo A. Neri in Calamba town of Misamis Occidental.
Jumalon was broadcasting his program through a studio located inside his house.
One of the two individuals held people inside Jumalon’s house at gunpoint, while another one went into his studio to gun him down.
Last Monday, the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) said that investigators are currently looking at four possible motives — including the attack being work-related or because of local politics.