ILOILO. One year after the brutal murder of 89-year-old veteran journalist and publisher Johnny Dayang inside his home in Kalibo, Aklan province, in the Catholic-majority Philippines, still no arrest has been made of the alleged gunman, prompting family and colleagues to renew their call for justice.
Renewed Calls for Justice
Jun Aguirre, chairman of the Aklan Media-Citizens Council, said: "I understand that the police investigators are slowly but surely investigating the said case. I just hope that the President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration and the Philippine National Police still give priority in solving the case."
"After a year, the perpetrator is still free despite the rewards and the mastermind is yet to be known," he added, as Dayang's murder drew national and global condemnation.
The Murder
Dayang was seated in his rocking chair, watching the news and preparing to celebrate his 90th birthday in June, when a gunman fired into the home and killed him on April 29, 2025, the Dayang family recalled.
Dayang, a towering figure in Philippine media and public life, was a journalist, a publisher, a former mayor, president of the Publishers Association of the Philippines and the Manila Overseas Press Club, and a lifelong defender of press freedom.
Dayang worked "to strengthen the media community and support fellow journalists," the family said.
Family's Statement
"In the days after Johnny was killed, we heard strong words and promises. Today, even as we gather at the National Press Club to honor his memory, we are still waiting for full accountability, clear answers, and a complete picture of the truth," the Dayang family said in a statement, a copy of which was furnished to SunStar Philippines on April 29, 2026.
According to the family, they have not been informed of any warrant of arrest nor of any clear breakthrough in the case, which makes justice "painfully incomplete."
While the Dayang family expressed "deep appreciation for the solidarity of the press community and for the role of institutions that have stood with them," they maintained that "the best way to honor Johnny and all fallen journalists is to make sure their cases do not end in impunity."
"For Johnny, and for all journalists who risk their lives to keep the public informed, we will not stop. We will not forget. We will not be silent. With God's help, we will keep demanding justice until it is done," the family said.
Government Response
Meanwhile, the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS), a government body established in 2016 to help ensure a safe environment for journalism and uphold press freedom in the Philippines, reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring accountability for violence against members of the media.
Joe Torres, PTFoMS executive director and a veteran journalist himself, said a thorough case buildup has been completed to support the prosecution of the gunman in the Dayang case, identified as BB Boy Kim Wency Antonio y Bayang.
On January 23, 2026, an information for murder was filed in the Regional Trial Court of Kalibo, Aklan, against the suspect. A warrant for his arrest has been issued, and law enforcement authorities, including the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation, are actively working to execute it, Torres said in a report from Catholic news site UCA News.
"As we honor his memory and contributions today, we urge all media practitioners to continue speaking truth to power, undeterred by risks. Journalism is essential to our democracy, serving as a critical institution that holds power accountable and protects the public interest," Torres added.
Context of Press Freedom in the Philippines
Paris-based Reporters Without Borders earlier said that despite its extremely dynamic media landscape, the Philippines remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, as highlighted in 2009 when 32 reporters were massacred in the southern province of Maguindanao, where impunity for these crimes is almost total. (Ronald O. Reyes/SunStar Philippines)
