Veteran journo, ex-Kalibo mayor Dayang, 89, slain at Aklan home
Juan “Johnny” Dayang, an 89-year-old veteran journalist based in Aklan province, was watching television Tuesday night when three bullets were fired through the window of his living room at Barangay Andagao in the province’s capital town of Kalibo.
Dayang, chair emeritus of the Publishers Association of the Philippines Inc. (Papi) who once served as mayor of his native Kalibo, slumped on his rocking chair as a bullet pierced through his neck while two hit his back.
He died while he was being taken to the Dr. Rafael S. Tumbokon Memorial Hospital. Doctors declared him dead at 8:33 p.m.
The Presidential Task Force on Media Security described the attack as a “heinous act,” as it assured the public that it was closely coordinating with all concerned agencies to ensure the immediate resolution of the case.
“We stand in solidarity with the media community as we mourn the passing of Dayang, a figure regarded as a pillar of Philippine journalism whose contributions greatly enriched our democratic discourse,” Jose Torres Jr., the task force’s executive director, said in a statement.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) condemned Dayang’s murder, saying it was “especially contemptible, considering that he was shot at his own home.”
“We are in solidarity with the Publishers Association of the Philippines, of which Dayang was president emeritus, and with colleagues who met, worked with and learned from him,” NUJP said in a statement on Wednesday.
“[We] join the community in calling for a thorough investigation and resolution of this killing,” it added.
In a statement on its Facebook page, Papi said: “The death of Dayang represents a significant loss to the Philippine media and political landscape.”
The Aklan provincial police vowed to use all its resources to solve the killing of Dayang, who served as mayor of Kalibo from March 1986 to January 1987. He was among the local government officials appointed by then President Corazon Aquino following the 1986 Edsa revolt.
“We are working closely with other law enforcement agencies and pursuing all available leads to ensure a complete … investigation,” said Police Col. Arnel Enrico Ramos, Aklan police director.
Police Capt. Aubrey Ayon, public information officer of the provincial police, said they had yet to establish the motive behind the murder but assured that all angles were being considered, including politics and his background as a journalist.
Lone gunman
According to information gathered by investigators from witnesses and footage from security cameras in the area, the lone gunman was wearing a black jacket and a full-face helmet.
The suspect, armed with an unknown caliber of gun, arrived on a black Honda Click motorcycle, stopped at Dayang’s gate, got off and stood outside the house’s fence, where he fired three shots through a window of the living room. He fled toward Calachuchi Road, police said.
“It is possible that there is a [mastermind] behind the murder, but we cannot make a conclusion because investigation [is ongoing],” Ayon said in a press conference on Wednesday.
Ayon said they could not confirm reports that Dayang had reported to the police about the presence of “suspicious persons” near his house in the past few weeks, citing the absence of any blotter report from the local police station.
Marjorie Yap, Dayang’s house caretaker, earlier told investigators that around 9 a.m. on the day of the attack, she saw two men on a motorcycle near the house.
Brig. Gen. Jack Wanky, Western Visayas regional police director, promised a thorough investigation.
“The Police Regional Office (PRO-6) vehemently condemns the shooting [and killing] of Mr. Juan P. Dayang. Rest assured that PRO-6 is pursuing an airtight investigation and shall explore all available legal means to identify and bring the suspect/s to court, and that justice be served to the victim,” Wanky said in a statement.
Different roles
Before his death, Dayang served as secretary of the Catholic Mass Media Awards, continuing his active involvement in the media sector.
His distinguished career spanned decades and left a lasting impact on the Philippine publishing landscape. He served as Papi president for more than 20 years.
Dayang also held leadership roles in key media institutions. He was a former director of the National Press Club, the National Book Development Board and the government-owned Apo Production Unit Inc.
He previously served as president of the Manila Overseas Press Club and was the founding chair of both the Aklan Press Club and the Federation of Provincial Press Clubs of the Philippines.
Beyond his administrative and organizational contributions, Dayang also authored books—his first was “Echoes from the Woodwork.” He also wrote columns for Tempo (a sister publication of the Manila Bulletin) and was the publisher of Philippines Graphic.
In addition to his journalism career, Dayang was engaged in business, sociocivic activities, humanitarian efforts and tourism development.
Colleagues, civic leaders and media workers described Dayang as a mentor.
In a post on Facebook, Papi president Nelson Santos called the murder a “cruel and senseless end” to a life devoted to journalism and public service.
Media killings
Dayang’s death adds to the tally of media killings in the Philippines. At least 200 journalists have been killed in the country since the ouster of then President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in 1986, according to Inquirer news reports, NUJP and the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility.
In February this year, NUJP reported that 2024 marked the first year in two decades without a journalist being killed over work-related reasons. Although Ma. Vilma Rodriguez, anchor of “Barangay Action Center” radio program on 105.9 eMedia, was killed in Zamboanga City in October 2024, investigators concluded that her death was not work-related.
Before Dayang, the most recent case of media killing involved radio broadcaster Juan “DJ Johnny Walker” Jumalon, owner of community station 94.7 Gold FM in Calamba, Misamis Occidental, who was slain on Nov. 5, 2023.
Dayang was the fifth journalist murdered since 2022 under the administration of President Marcos Jr., following the deaths of radio hosts Rey Blanco in Negros Oriental (Sept. 18, 2022), Percival “Percy” Mabasa in Las Piñas City (Oct. 3, 2022) and Cresenciano “Cris” Bunduquin in Oriental Mindoro (May 31, 2023). —WITH REPORTS FROM DEMPSEY REYES, JOEY MARZAN, INQUIRER RESEARCH AND REUTERS
