PBBM assures justice for the family of slain broadcaster

MANILA - President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Sunday assured the family of slain radio broadcaster, Juan T. Jumalon, aka, ‘DJ Johnny Walker,’ that law enforcement agencies are exerting all efforts to apprehend those behind his fatal shooting last November 5, 2023.

The President, thru the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) led by Usec. Paul Gutierrez, said there are promising results in the investigation in the killing of Jumalon.

“The leads and possible motives being pursued by the investigators are showing promising result pointing to a faster resolution of this incident,” Gutierrez said.

More than the expression of sympathy and the granting of financial support, what we are after here is justice for the victim thru the apprehension of the identified suspect and his confederates leading to the unmasking of the mastermind, if there is any,” Gutierrez stressed.

“This is the instruction of the President and I am glad to note that our law enforcement bodies are exerting their efforts to give justice to the Jumalons,” he added.

Emerging from an hour-long, close-door meeting with Misamis Occidental police director, P/Col. Dwight Monato, Gutierrez, said he is satisfied over the conduct of the ongoing investigation of the incident by the ‘Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) Johnny Walker’ with Monato as ground commander.

From the meeting, Gutierrez and Monato proceeded to the Jumalon residence in the municipality of Calamba where the shooting took place to convey President Marcos’ condolence to the grieving family and that of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

Gutierrez turned over to Mrs. Joreebel Jumalon and her children, Stephen Kyle and Kyla, financial assistance in the total amount of P350,000.00 coming from the President and Speaker Romualdez.

On Wednesday, November 8, 2023, the SITG already submitted a complaint for murder and theft against one of Jumalin’s three attackers with the Misamis Occidental Prosecutor’s Office for evaluation before filing with the court. It also already released a computer-generated sketch of the suspect’s face.

The Department of Justice (DOJ), citing Department Circular 20, signed by Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla last March, assured that only criminal information “with reasonable certainty of conviction” of the accused would be filed in court.

The suspect, a known ‘gun-for-hire’ in the province, has been identified by at least three witnesses, Monato told Gutierrez. “We already have the name and background of one of the three possible suspects. This is a good starting point in any investigation,” he said.

Immediately after the shooting, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) thru Sec. Rex Gatchalian and Usec. Edu Punay, also aided the family with P30,000.00 in financial and educational assistance in coordination with the task force.

Aside from meeting with Monato, Gutierrez also held separate meetings with agents from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the regional office of the PNP’s Directorate for Investigation and Detection Management (DIDM) to get a more comprehensive picture of the incident and the efforts being exerted by law enforcement bodies to resolve it.

To date, a total of P3.7 million in reward money has been promised for the arrest of any of the 3 potential suspects in the killing of Jumalon.

The office of Governor Henry Oaminal Sr. on Friday, November 10, 2023, promised a reward of P500,000 to anyone who can provide information on the suspects’ whereabouts and P3 million to any law enforcer who can actually arrest any of them.

P100,000.00 had been put up by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and another P100,000.00 had been pledged to the PTFoMS for any information leading to the suspects’ arrest.

In the early morning of November 5, Jumalon, owner of community radio station, 94.7 Gold FM, was broadcasting live in his radio booth located at their family compound when a gunman suddenly entered and shot him twice at close-range with a .45 caliber pistol. The attack was recorded by the CCTV cameras in his residence and it immediately went viral.

Gutierrez also commended the provincial police office for affirming they would continue to provide security to the family even after his burial. Jumalon is set to be buried this Sunday, November 12, 2023, at a cemetery in Zamboanga del Norte.