Jun Pala

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Jun Pala

| image =

| caption =

| honorific_prefix = The Honorable

| office = Member of the Davao City Council from the 2nd district

| term_start = June 30, 1998

| term_end = June 30, 2001

| birth_name = Juan Pajadora Pala Jr.

| birth_date = {{birth date|1954|7|17}}

| birth_place = Davao City, Philippines

| death_date = {{death date and age|2003|9|6|1954|7|17}}

| death_place = Davao City, Philippines

| death_cause = Murder

| resting_place = Buhangin Memorial Cemetery

| party = Independent

| alma_mater = Holy Cross of Digos

| occupation = Radio journalist and commentator

| spouse = Louise Pala

| children = 7

}}

Juan Pajadora Pala Jr. (July 17, 1954 – September 6, 2003), popularly known as Jun Porras Pala or simply Jun Pala, was a Filipino journalist, columnist and pundit known for being the spokesperson of the Alsa Masa vigilante group in Davao City. Pala was killed in September 2003.{{cite news|first=Carlos H. |last=Conde|title=Shooting is the third slaying of a journalist in less than a month : Philippines radio personality is killed |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331|date= September 8, 2003|access-date=April 7, 2016|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/08/news/08iht-phil_0.html}}{{cite web|url=https://cpj.org/killed/2003/juan-jun-pala.php|title=Juan "Jun" Pala|publisher=Committee to Protect Journalists|date=September 6, 2003}}

In 2016, an alleged former hitman in Davao City linked President Rodrigo Duterte to the death squad that carried out Pala's murder while Duterte was mayor of Davao City. The Duterte administration denied the allegations.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/16/world/asia/philippines-rodrigo-duterte-hitman.html?_r=0|first1=Felipe |last1=Villamor |first2=Mike |last2=Ives |title=Rodrigo Duterte Ordered Philippine Killings, Professed Hit Man Testifies|work=New York Times|date=September 15, 2016}}

Life and career

Pala was born on July 17, 1954 in Davao City. He spent his early years at Igpit and Tres de Mayo in Digos, Davao del Sur and studied at the Holy Cross of Digos.

Pala's professional career was first established when he became the main spokesperson for the Alsa Masa, an anti-communist vigilante group based in Davao City, in 1987.{{cite web|url=http://www.luisteodoro.com/the-media-under-siege/|title=The media under siege|work=LuisTeodoro.com|date=September 11, 2003 }} Alsa Masa was known for hunting down and killing members of the Communist Party of the Philippines and alleged corrupt politicians, and has also been blamed for human rights violations.{{Cite book|title=Vigilantes in the Philippines: A Threat to Democratic Rule|publisher=Lawyers Committee for Human Rights|year=1988|location=New York|pages=25|language=English}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/04/04/world/right-wing-vigilantes-spreading-in-philippines.html|title=RIGHT-WING VIGILANTES SPREADING IN PHILIPPINES|date=April 4, 1987|work=The New York Times}} He also hosted a public service radio program named Isumbong Mo Kay Pala (Tell Pala) on DXGO-AM radio station in Davao City. His prominence led Pala to form another anti-communist group named Contra Force.{{cite web|url=http://archives.newsbreak-knowledge.ph/2005/06/20/the-jun-pala-dilemma/|title=The Jun Pala Dilemma|publisher=}}

In the 1988 local elections, he ran for mayor of Davao City as an independent candidate, finishing third behind former OIC vice mayor Rodrigo Duterte and former OIC mayor Zafiro Respicio. In 1995, Pala leveraged his popularity to run for congressman of the city's second district, but he was defeated by then-congressman Manuel Garcia. Three years later, he ran and won a seat in the Davao City Council. He launched a bid for vice mayor in 2001, supporting then-reelectionist mayor Benjamin de Guzman. De Guzman lost the mayoral race to the comebacking Duterte, while Pala was trounced by Duterte's running mate, former vice mayor Luis Bonguyan.

Controversies

Pala's career was not without controversy. In the 1980s, Pala was met with a libel case and was suspended from his radio station for six months. After a six-month suspension, Pala was banned for life by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) for using inflammatory language while on air. With his influence and political connections and on the basis of his popularity, he was able to have the ban lifted.

During his later career, Pala aired critical commentaries against various government officials including Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He had also exposed graft and corruption in the city involving some politicians.{{cite web|url=https://www.ifex.org/philippines/2003/09/08/radio_journalist_killed_in_davao/|title=Radio journalist killed in Davao City|work=IFEX|date=September 8, 2003 }} Nelly Castillo, one of Pala's colleagues, revealed that he admitted that he extorted money from politicians, businessmen and even his friends. However, according to Castillo, Pala's courage in exposing his own corrupt acts made him popular to his listeners.

Death

{{Location map+ | Philippines |float=left |width=250

| caption=Davao City, Philippines is shown here relative to the capital city of Manila.

| alt=Davao City is located in the Philippines.

| places =

{{Location map~ | Philippines

| label = Manila

| position = top

| marksize = 10

| lat_deg=14 |lat_min=36 |lat_sec=3 |lat_dir=N

| lon_deg=120 |lon_min=58 |lon_sec=34 |lon_dir=E}}

{{Location map~ | Philippines

| label = Davao City

| position = top

| marksize = 10

| lat_deg=7 |lat_min=04 |lat_sec=|lat_dir=N

| lon_deg=125 |lon_min=36 |lon_sec=|lon_dir=E}}

}}

On the evening of September 6, 2003, Pala was walking home from work along Davao Empress Subdivision in Panacan, Davao City when a riding-in-tandem fatally shot him in the chest four times. Pala's brother sustained minor injuries, while one of his bodyguards was also hit while attempting to wrestle the gunmen.{{cite web|url=http://www.philstar.com/nation/204266/2-broadcasters-ambushed|title=2 broadcasters ambushed|work=philstar.com}}

Prior to his death, Pala suffered two failed assassination attempts. The first attempt was in June 2001 while Pala was returning home from work when unknown gunmen fired at his taxi, grazing him in the neck. Soon after the failed ambush, Pala hired bodyguards to protect himself and his family from future attacks.

After surviving his first attempt, Pala continued to receive death threats at work. He was attacked once again by unknown gunmen in April 2003. According to his wife Louise, the second attempt on his life forced Pala to record his radio program from home via telephone. Although this was the safer option for Pala, he still preferred conducting his radio show from the studio booth.