Paul Jervin Ladesma 
On a live broadcast on November 5, 2023, radio anchor Juan Jumalon, better known as DJ Johnny Walker, was mercilessly shot inside his own home-based studio. The attacker, presumed to be 5’5″ in height and around 70 kg in weight, was able to locate the 57-year-old host by pretending to be a listener.
In addition, the suspect took the gold necklace adorned on the lifeless man’s neck, and hastily left the scene with his tandem. A facial composite sketch of one of the two men was also released, anticipating to find an identification.
With all this transpiring during a live broadcast, this allowed the subscribers to witness his unexpected final moments, instilling a familiar sense of dread in journalists and citizens alike. Albeit missing context behind the motive, this predicament once again brings to light the never-ending issue of press security in the Philippines. Even after all this time, how is it so that the Filipino media is still being stifled?
The upsetting truth
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) has been keeping track of all journalism-related deaths since 1986, and stated that Jumalon’s slay was the 199th journalist death since 1986.
Although saddened by the fact that another life has been needlessly taken, it is even more disheartening that most people weren’t even that surprised, and some simply just don’t care.
Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration, this would be the fourth journalist added to the death toll. Additionally, NUJP has uncovered that 54 percent of the cases regarding these unjust killings are abandoned as cold cases. Whether this is due to the lackluster performance of our country’s justice system or an intentional blind-eye to the proprietors of journalistic expose, the fact remains that the Government still holds a key role in the operation of the Philippine Media. Officials should be held accountable for the rampant injustices towards our journalists.
Pseudo-security
Besides killings, journalists are also subjected to a variety of unprecedented harassment. For example, red-tagging is rampant exceptionally amongst those journalists who fearlessly critic the administration. Death threats and livelihood losses became the medium of these corrupt individuals to silence these journalists. Even Len Olea, Secretary General of NUJP revealed in an interview that she has experienced being red-tagged, on national TV for that matter.
To combat these mistreatments, a handful of laws were curated to shield the media from harm, such as R.A. 11458 or House Bill 913 of the 17th Congress. With the presence of these legal sanctions, it is questionable how the violations against the press are still occurring until today. If it fails to regress journalism-centered attacks, what sense do these ordinances impose? It’s as if these laws were only created as a placebo; providing a false sense of safety from a policy that was never intended to be seriously enforced.
The next step
PBBM has expressed his strong condemnation of the murder of Jumalon. The police were already mandated to conduct manhunt and dragnet operations to locate the assailants. The Philippine National Police also released a facial composite sketch of one of the suspects, in hopes of expediting the search process.
Admittedly, this initiative from the government is impressively immediate. It will help propagate the virtue of justice that should rightfully reign over the nation.
But, do not be blindsided by this as it is the bare minimum. As the Government, it is their sole duty to withhold the peace of this country. Yes, they may bring justice for the country and the bereaved family, but what steps are they taking to ensure that this does not happen again?
Ultimately, the death of Juan Jumalon is a reflection of the current state of the nationwide safety of journalists. Seemingly, entering the journalism field of the Philippines compromises the life of those who commit to it. And yet, with all the reported violations towards the media, the government does not seem too affected.
The first death alone was already one death too many. At what point will significant change permeate our country? How much more will the media suffer from anxiety over their own lives? How many more families will be left behind? How many more journalists will shed their own blood in pursuit of truth for the Philippines?
With already a hundred and ninety-nine lives lost, should we wait until we reach two hundred?
