US envoy condemns MisOcc broadcaster's killing
The US Embassy in Manila has condemned the killing of radio broadcaster Juan “DJ Johnny Walker” Jumalon, whose death was caught on Facebook live.
US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson on Tuesday said she is joining the widespread condemnation of Jumalon’s “brazen murder” after several other diplomats in Manila already denounced the incident.
Carlson said she is extending her deepest sympathies to Jumalon’s family and friends in this time of great grief.
In a separate post on X, the embassy said it welcomes the swift action taken by the government in investigating the broadcaster’s killing.
The embassy asserted that journalism is “fundamental to a free society” and the attacks on journalists “put that freedom at risk.”
On Sunday, Jumalon was killed in his studio in Misamis Occidental while hosting his radio program that was also live on Facebook.
Other diplomats in Manila, including those of the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan, Czech, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the European Union, already condemn Jumalon’s killing.
The Media Freedom Coalition, a global network of 52 countries that has vowed to defend media freedom, also called for a “swift and transparent” investigation to “prevent the chilling effect such violence can have on the ability of journalists to report news freely and safely.”
“We also encourage the Philippine government to take further actions to create a safe environment for journalists to carry out their work without fear for their lives and safety, and to address impunity for crimes against them,” it said.