MANILA, Philippines — The murder of Misamis Occidental radio broadcaster Juan Jumalon is “as good as completely solved,” according to the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS).
“This case is as good as completely solved,” PToMS Director Undersecretary Paul Gutierrez said in a statement on Monday following the arrest of the last suspect in the case.
“Finally, the quest for justice for the family of Jumalon will be served with the arrest of (Jolieto Dumaog) Mangumpit. All three suspects directly involved in the killing of Jumalon are now in the hands of the law. We are optimistic that given the weight of evidence against them, they would be convicted by the court,” he added.
“While the suspects continue to feign innocence, we are confident that in the course of the trial, the mystery behind the motive as to why Jumalon was killed would be finally revealed,” Gutierrez said.
Earlier Monday, PTFoMS announced that Misamis Occidental and Zamboanga Del Norte authorities arrested Mangumpit, alias “Ricky,” around 3 a.m. in Dipolog City.
Citing police reports, PTFoMS revealed that Mangumpit was the gunman who shot Jumalon, also known as “DJ Johnny Walker,” during a live broadcast in his residence on November 5 last year in Calamba town.
Aside from Mangumpit, the task force also announced the arrest of his two “accomplices or cousins,” identified as Boboy Sagaray Bongcawel, alias “Boboy,” and Renante Saja Bongcawel, alias “Inteng.”
PTFoMS said the two were collared by authorities last March in Barangay Sapang Dalaga in Misamis Occidental.
All three are facing murder and theft complaints filed by the PNP before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office of Misamis Occidental on November 8 last year.