On this day, August 29, the Church commemorates the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, who was executed for speaking truth to power and refusing to remain silent in the face of wrongdoing.

Exactly four months ago, on April 29, our father, veteran journalist Johnny Dayang, met a similar fate. He was assassinated for being a fearless voice of conscience, a man who dedicated his life to truth, and someone who never compromised in his duty to inform the public. Like John the Baptist, he unsettled those who thrived in silence and falsehood. And like St. John, he was silenced by violence.

As his family, we affirm that while his life was cut short, his voice endures. His writings, his example, and his memory remain alive. His legacy as a journalist and as a truth-teller cannot be erased.

Violence may end a life, but it can never extinguish the truth for which that life was lived.

We continue to seek justice for his assassination, holding on to the hope that those responsible will be held accountable.

“Four months after the assassination of our father, veteran journalist Johnny Dayang, we mark today’s Feast of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist. Like St. John, he was silenced by violence for speaking truth to power. But his voice, his legacy, and the truth he lived for can never be erased.” – The Dayang Family