MANILA, Philippines — The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) has condemned the killing of Negros Occidental radio broadcaster Julito “Jaz” Diamante Calo and vowed to ensure that “justice is served.” The task force described the murder as a “significant threat to press freedom” and is coordinating with provincial authorities to expedite the investigation.
- Victim: Julito “Jaz” Diamante Calo, 49, a reporter for DNN News FM based in Himamaylan City and a job order worker.
- Circumstances: Calo was shot on Friday, March 20, 2026, while tending to his garden at his home in Barangay Robles, La Castellana.
- The Suspect: An unidentified gunman in a sport utility vehicle (SUV) reportedly approached Calo without provocation and fired before fleeing the scene. Calo was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
According to Human Rights Watch, Calo is the ninth journalist killed since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office in June 2022. Notably, eight out of the nine victims were radio broadcasters, highlighting the specific risks faced by those in the broadcast industry.
- Renato “Rey” Blanco (September 2022, Negros Oriental)
- Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa (October 2022, Las Piñas City)
- Cresciano “Cris” Bundoquin (May 2023, Oriental Mindoro)
- Juan “Johnny Walker” Jumalon (November 2023, Misamis Occidental)
- Maria Vilma Rodriguez (October 2024, Zamboanga City)
- Juan “Johnny” Dayang (April 2025, Aklan)
- Erwin Labitad Segovia (July 2025, Surigao del Sur)
- Noel Bellen Samar (October 2025, Albay)
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)—particularly its Negros Island Region office—expressed solidarity with the victim’s family and called for decisive government action.
“Killing journalists is a barbaric act that has no place in our society,” said NUJP-NIR chair Chito Berjit Jr. “It is a blatant attack to silence voices that seek to inform, question, and hold power to account.”
While the President has previously condemned such attacks as “attacks on media freedom,” press freedom advocates remain concerned about the culture of impunity, pointing to high-profile cases like the Percy Lapid murder, where the main accused, Gerald Bantag, remains at large.