Court junks case vs 3 men accused of killing Misamis Occidental broadcaster

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

Court urges authorities to exhaust all efforts, resources, and time to catch the real perpetrators and mastermind behind the brutal murder of broadcaster Juan Jumalon

MANILA, Philippines – The prosecution’s case was so shaky that a regional court threw out the murder charges against three men accused of being behind the 2023 killing broadcaster Juan “Johnny Walker” Jumalon in Misamis Occidental, leaving questions about the real perpetrators unanswered.

The decision brought to the fore the persistent dangers faced by Filipino journalists, as another media killing remained unsolved. With authorities back to square one, the case is wide open, and the real killers have remained at large.

In a March 18 ruling, Judge Michael Ajoc of Regional Trial Court Branch 36 in Calamba, Misamis Occidental, found that prosecutors failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Jolito Mangompit, Reynante Saja Bongcawel, and Boboy Sagaray Bongcawel were behind the brazen attack in Calamba on November 5, 2023.

The court ordered the release of the Bongcawels from the Misamis Provincial Jail in Oroquieta City, while Mangompit was transferred to the Zamboanga del Norte Correctional and Rehabilitation Center for separate attempted murder and murder cases.

“When a wrong person is brought to trial, it not only defeats the several purposes of our criminal justice system but rubs a grain of salt into the wounds sustained by the grieving family of the murdered victim,” the ruling stated.

Ajoc’s decision also pointed to lapses in law enforcement, urging authorities to go after the real perpetrators instead of merely securing convictions.

“May the authorities exert all their efforts, time and money to look after the real killers and mastermind of the calloused murder of Juan T. Jumalon and give his family the justice they deserve,” the ruling read.

Case built on sand

The 57-year-old Jumalon, a radio commentator, was gunned down inside his home while hosting a live Facebook program. The attack, inadvertently streamed in real time and aired over Gold FM 94.7, sent shockwaves through the media industry and renewed concerns over journalist safety.

During the trial, the defense dismantled the prosecution’s case, presenting a dozen witnesses – including the accused, except for Mangompit – who testified that they were nowhere near the crime scene when Jumalon was killed.

Reynante Bongcawel, accused of being the getaway driver, said he spent the day fishing and later delivered his catch to a barangay chairman in Sapang Dalaga. Fellow fishermen backed up his account.

Boboy Bongcawel, accused of threatening Jumalon’s gatekeeper with a gun, argued that a 2020 stroke had left him partially paralyzed. His physician and relatives testified in his defense.

Mangompit, accused of being the gunman, presented witnesses who swore he was harvesting corn with family members on November 4 and 5, 2023.

Flaws in the case

The court’s ruling outlined several inconsistencies that weakened the prosecution’s arguments:

• None of the accused had fingerprints matching those found at the crime scene.
• Prosecutors failed to establish a direct link between Mangompit and the shooting.
• Witnesses identified the gunman only after police intervention, raising concerns about suggestive identification.
• Initial witness descriptions were vague, focusing only on clothing and ballcaps, with no details directly implicating the accused.

With these gaps, the court ruled that there wasn’t enough evidence to convict Mangompit as the gunman, Boboy as the one who threatened the gatekeeper, or Reynante as the getaway driver.

“This decision underscores the caution that courts must exercise when relying on eyewitness testimony, especially when it stems from potentially suggestive identification procedures. It reinforces the fundamental right of every accused to be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” read part of the ruling.

The decision left lingering questions: If these men were not the killers, then who was? And why has the mastermind not been caught? – Rappler.com