Philippines condemns killing of veteran journalist

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MANILA (Reuters) – The killing of a veteran Filipino journalist in his home was a “heinous act” that was being investigated by police, the Philippines’ Presidential Task Force on Media Security said on Wednesday.Juan “Johnny” Dayang, 89, who served as president emeritus of the Publishers Association of the Philippines Inc, was shot by an unidentified assailant in his home in the central province of Aklan on Tuesday night, and died before reaching the hospital, the task force said.

“We are closely coordinating with all concerned agencies to ensure the immediate resolution of this case,” Jose Torres Jr., the task force’s executive director, said in a statement.

“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,” Torres added.

Despite a media environment that ranks as one of the most liberal in Asia, the Philippines is one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists, particularly in its provinces.

More than 200 journalists have been killed in the country since democracy was restored in 1986, according to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, including 32 in a single incident in 2009.

“The death of Dayang represents a significant loss to the Philippine media and political landscape,” the Publishers Association said in a statement on its Facebook page.

Dayang served as mayor of Kalibo, his hometown, from 1986 to 1987.

(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by John Mair)