A radio journalist (RJ), Juan Jumalon, was fatally shot by an unidentified assailant while he was broadcasting live on the airwaves in the southern Philippines.
This horrifying incident occurred at Jumalon’s residence in Calamba town, situated in the southern province of Misamis Occidental on a Sunday.
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The assailant deceptively posed as an individual with an announcement to make during the 57-year-old broadcaster Jumalon’s radio show. However, once inside the studio, the assailant inexplicably drew a firearm and fired at Jumalon, inflicting injuries to his lower lip and piercing through to the back of his head, as detailed in a police report.
After committing the act, the suspect fled the scene, while the victim was promptly rushed to a hospital. Tragically, upon arrival at the hospital, Jumalon was declared dead.
Law enforcement authorities were still in the process of determining the motive behind this heinous act. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr strongly condemned the killing and issued directives for the police to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice.
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He emphasized that attacks on journalists would not be tolerated within the democratic framework, and those who threaten the freedom of the press would face the full legal consequences of their actions, as he conveyed via an official statement.
Jumalon’s tragic demise marked the fourth journalist killed during the tenure of President Marcos Jr and the 199th journalist killed since 1986, according to the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP). The NUJP expressed particular condemnation for the incident, highlighting the distressing fact that it occurred within Jumalon’s own home, as articulated in their official statement.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has consistently reported that the Philippines is one of the most perilous locations for journalists, with a special emphasis on the risks faced by radio journalists.
