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Reward up for Johnny Dayang’s killer as Aklan tensions rise ahead of polls

Published

2 weeks ago

May 8, 2025

KALIBO, Aklan- Authorities have announced a P500,000-reward for information leading to the arrest of the gunman in the murder of veteran journalist Juan “Johnny” Dayang, who was gunned down in Aklan in late April.

The Special Investigation Task Group Dayang said Thursday, May 8, that the reward has been raised to help resolve the case.

The announcement came a day after Dayang, 89, was laid to rest at the Manila Memorial Park in Sucat, Parañaque.

The killing of Dayang added to the tensions and security concerns in Aklan just days before the May 12 national and local elections.

Brigadier General Jack Wanky, Philippine National Police-Western Visayas director, told reporters the amount includes P250,000 from Aklan Governor Jose Enrique Miraflores and another P250,000 from Kalibo Mayor Juris Bautista-Sucro.

Dayang, a long-time journalist and former mayor, was shot by a bonnet-wearing assailant at his home at around 8 pm on April 29. He was watching television when he was attacked.

Dayang led Kalibo town as mayor in the immediate post-EDSA period, from March 1986 to January 1987. He also once headed the Publishers Association of the Philippines Incorporated (PAPI) and continued writing columns well into his later years. His murder sparked an outcry from journalists and media organizations.

Police said the suspect used the name “Boy Kim Wency Antonio” based on records of a local establishment.

Wanky said the initial investigation showed that the suspect went to a Kalibo inn after the shooting death of Dayang, and spent the night there.

The suspect had allegedly been monitoring Dayang’s house as early as April 5, using a rented motorcycle.

Police said that on May 2, the suspect boarded a flight from the Iloilo Airport to Metro Manila.

Authorities also said the suspect faced drug charges in Manila in 2021, and that photos of him on social media showed him wearing a security guard’s uniform.

Wanky said the hunt is on for the suspect who could lead investigators to the mastermind, and uncover the motive behind the killing. Investigators said possible motives range from personal grudge, his media work, or possible political links.

Police noted that Dayang was long outspoken on local issues and his murder came at a time of already simmering political rivalries in western Aklan.

In the province’s 2nd District, the rivalry between Representative Teodorico Haresco Jr. and former governor Florencio Miraflores, first cousins who were once close political allies, is intense. Florencio is challenging Haresco’s congressional bid.

The killing further complicated an already sensitive situation, according to police Captain Aubrey Ayon.

Police said it recorded several politically related incidents in the 2nd District, and Dayang’s murder only added a new layer to the tensions.

As election day nears, the Aklan police said they were tightening security measures across the province. – Rappler.com