CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Police filed before the provincial prosecutor’s office in Misamis Occidental on Wednesday, November 8, murder and theft cases against three suspects in the killing of radio broadcaster Juan Jumalon, also known as “Johnny Walker,” on Sunday, November 5.
POLICE Regional Office-10 Director Police Brig. Gen. Ricardo Layug and Misamis Occidental Police Provincial Office Director Police Col. Dwight Monato visit Juan Jumalon's wake on November 7. (Photo courtesy of PRO-10)
Police Col. Dwight Monato, Misamis Occidental Police Provincial Office chief and the commander of the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) Johnny Walker, said they only identified the gunman but they are still establishing the identity of the two other suspects, one of whom has a computerized facial composite.
Read: https://mb.com.ph/2023/11/6/police-release-sketch-of-jumalon-gunman
“Not just the composite, but even the picture (of the gunman) later if it’s already time,” Monato said on Thursday, November 9, when asked if they would also release the gunman’s description.
Police investigators, Monato said, were able to obtain different angles of the surveillance footage, which enabled them to know that there was another suspect in their gateway vehicle waiting outside the victim’s place. This was also confirmed by Jumalon’s wife, Monato said.
The SITG commander said in a press briefing on November 6 that they are not discounting the possibility that the killing might be connected to his job as a radio broadcaster.
Aside from this, authorities are also looking into the possibility that the incident might be caused by a personal motive, as the victim’s family, Monato said, recently had heated arguments with some individuals which escalated to the court.
Monato said he couldn’t divulge further details about the issue as the investigation is ongoing.
The 57-year-old radio broadcaster was shot dead while on air in his radio station inside his residence in Barangay Don Bernardo A. Neri, Calamba, Misamis Occidental and his necklace was also taken by the gunman based on the surveillance footage.
Read: https://mb.com.ph/2023/11/5/veteran-radio-broadcaster-shot-dead-live-on-air-in-misamis-occidental
The Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasyer ng Pilipinas (KBP) condemned the killing and urged authorities to “act swiftly and decisively to identify, arrest, and prosecute the killer and the mastermind behind his murder.” It also urged the government to take concrete steps to protect journalists and media workers.
On November 7, Police Regional Office-10 director Police Brig. Gen. Ricardo Layug and Monato visited Jumalon’s wake and talked to the victim’s family to ensure their safety and deliver updates on the case, followed by an inspection at the place of the incident.