Police to form task group to probe killing of radio anchor in Misamis Occidental

The Police Regional Office 10 said Sunday it will create a special investigation task group (SITG) to probe the fatal shooting of a radio anchor during a live broadcast in Calamba, Misamis Occidental.

In a statement, PRO10 acting regional director Police Brigadier General Ricardo Layug Jr. condemned the killing of Juan Jumalon or  “Johnny Walker” while on air for his radio program on 94.7 Calamba Gold FM on Sunday morning.

“We are now actively conducting a thorough investigation to identify the perpetrators of this crime and bring them to justice. A [SITG] will be created to spearhead and coordinate the investigative efforts to facilitate the speedy resolution of the case,” Layug said.

The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) called on the police to immediately activate the SITG and urged the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to start gathering evidence.

“Even as we extend our sympathy to the victim’s family and friends over this dastardly attack, we also call on the Misamis Occidental Police Office to immediately constitute its SITG to investigate this incident and apprehend the suspect and others possibly involved in the interest of justice,” PTFoMS executive director Undersecretary Paul Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez also urged the media and the public ''not to resort to any speculation or make baseless accusations that can only distract our investigators from the true motive for the attack on Jumalon.''

“Instead, we call on them to provide relevant and factual information that can hasten the resolution of this incident,” he added.

Layug said the PRO10 fully supports the media community, stressing the need to ensure the safety of all media practitioners in the region.

“Let us stand united against violence and work towards a society where freedom of expression and of the press is respected and protected,” he added.

Jumalon was at his home-based radio station in Barangay Don Bernardo A. Neri early Sunday when he was shot at close range by an unidentified gunman, hitting his lower lip towards the back portion of his head.

He was pronounced dead on arrival when rushed to the Calamba District Hospital by his family.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) denounced Jumalon's killing, noting that it was the 199th incident since 1986, and the fourth under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. —Giselle Ombay and Jon Viktor Cabuenas/KG/VBL, GMA Integrated News