Philippines Radio Journalist Shot Dead on Air in 'Brazen Killing'

Facts

• Juan Jumalon, a radio host in the Philippines, was shot live on air on November 5, making him the 199th journalist to be killed in the country since 1986.¹
• Jumalon, who went by the name 'DJ Johnny Walker,' was shot by an unknown attacker while broadcasting in his home in Calamba town in Misamis Occidental province. Police say that an investigation is ongoing to identify the gunman and see if the shooting was related to Jumalon's broadcast work or a personal matter.²
• The attacker gained entry into Jumalon's home-based radio station by pretending to be a listener, before shooting him twice, stealing his gold necklace, and fleeing on the back of an accomplice's motorbike.³
• A video of the attack, recorded on the shows Facebook live broadcast shows Jumalon looking off-camera before two shots are heard. The attacker was not visible on the Facebook live stream and police are looking to see if security cameras installed in the house or at nearby properties recorded anything.³
• President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Marcos condemned the attack in a statement posted on X and said he had ordered the Philippine National Police to thoroughly investigate Jumalon’s death and bring the attackers to justice. Jumalon is the fourth journalist to be killed since the president took office in June last year.⁴
• The Philippines, which is ranked 132 of 180 countries on the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Press Freedom Index, is considered to be one of the world’s most dangerous places in the world for journalists.⁵

Sources: ¹Insider, ²CBS, ³The Guardian, ⁴Al Jazeera and ⁵CNN.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The Guardian. Attacks on journalists can not be tolerated, and people who threaten the freedom of the press must face consequences. President Marcos and his administration fully support any and all efforts to find and prosecute those who committed this heinous crime. Manila is dedicated to halting this unacceptable trend of danger to members of the press across the Philippines.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Al Jazeera. The Philippines is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist, and sadly this has not changed under the leadership of President Marcos. Manila has a historically awful record for prosecuting the killers of journalists. There are deep institutional issues nationwide that must be addressed to protect members of the media from heinous attacks like these.