The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday pledged to bring justice to the killing of veteran journalist and former Kalibo, Aklan mayor Juan “Johnny” Dayang.
PNP spokesperson BGen. Jean Fajardo said investigators are backtracking the suspects’ movements before and after the crime and are considering multiple motives, including politics and Dayang’s background in media.
PNP Chief Gen. Rommel Marbil condemned the attack, calling it a grave affront to press freedom and human decency.
He said the PNP is coordinating closely with the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFOMS) and other agencies to identify and arrest the perpetrators.
Marbil also announced that regional units and investigative teams, including the PNP Media Vanguards, have been mobilized to fast-track the case.
The Media Vanguards, trained to engage and assist journalists, are also tasked with strengthening protection mechanisms for media workers nationwide.
Dayang, President Emeritus of the Publishers Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PAPI), was hailed as a pillar of Philippine journalism whose decades of service left a lasting legacy.