An Open Letter to the President of the Philippines President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr.

June 2026

Malacañang Palace
Manila, Philippines

Dear President Marcos Jr.,

We write to you on the occasion of what would have been the 91st birthday of our father, Johnny Dayang, on 24 June.

On 29 April 2025, he was assassinated inside our family home in Kalibo, Aklan, at the age of 89. He was seated in his rocking chair watching the news when a gunman entered and took his life in the place where he should have been safest.

Our father was a journalist, publisher, former mayor, and a lifelong advocate of press freedom. Through his leadership in the Publishers Association of the Philippines and as president of the Manila Overseas Press Club, he devoted his life to strengthening journalism and supporting fellow media workers.

We acknowledge that charges have been filed and a warrant of arrest has been issued against the identified suspect, publicly named by authorities as BB Boy Kim Wency Antonio y Bayang. However, the suspect remains at large, and full accountability has yet to be achieved.

As his family, we continue to grieve his loss while seeking justice. The passage of time has not lessened our demand for truth, accountability, and closure.

We respectfully call on your administration to ensure that all relevant agencies act with urgency, coordination, and resolve so that this case is brought to a full and final resolution without further delay. Justice must include not only legal progress, but the apprehension and accountability of all those responsible, directly or indirectly.

Violence against journalists is not only a personal tragedy for families. It is an attack on press freedom and on the public’s right to know. Each unresolved case weakens confidence in the justice system and deepens fear among those who continue the essential work of truth-telling.

We remain committed to pursuing justice through lawful and peaceful means, and we continue to place our trust in the institutions of government. We respectfully ask that this trust be met with decisive action.

As his family, we make this promise:

We will not stop.
We will not forget.
We will not be silent.

Respectfully,

The Family of Juan “Johnny” P. Dayang