A Filipino radio journalist was killed during a live broadcast. He was shot with a firearm in his home studio, and the shooter managed to escape, the BBC reported.
57-year-old Juan Humalon, known as DJ Johnnie Walker, was at his home on the island of Mindanao. The radio host was broadcasting live on Facebook around 5:30 a.m. local time when a gunman entered the recording booth and shot him.
According to local media, citing police sources, the suspect requested permission to enter Juan Humalon’s radio booth to announce “something important on air.”
“He was primarily involved in reporting the news and was not known for criticizing anyone,” said Police Chief Deore Ragonio.
The DJ’s wife took him to hospital immediately after the incident, but he is understood to have been pronounced dead on arrival by doctors. Police say they have already secured footage from CCTV cameras in the area.
The radio host’s shows are usually aired on the Facebook page of 94.7 Gold Mega Calamba FM, which has about 2,400 followers.
The President of the Philippines and the National Union of Journalists condemned Humalon’s murder.
“I have ordered the National Police to conduct a thorough investigation to quickly bring the perpetrators to justice. Attacks on journalists will not be tolerated in our democracy and those who threaten the freedom of the media will suffer the full consequences of their actions,” the president said.
“The attack is all the more reprehensible as it took place in Humalon’s own home, which also served as a radio station,” the union added.
The Philippines is one of the the most dangerous places in the world for journalists, claims the American organization Freedom House. They are often intimidated or attacked. Perpetrators of assaults against journalists rarely receive the punishment they deserve from justice.
