Haresco heartbroken over Johnny Dayang slay

Aklan 2nd district Rep. Teodorico Haresco Jr. (left), Johnny Dayang (PPAB, Facebook)

Aklan 2nd district Rep. Teodorico Haresco Jr. is crushed upon learning of the murder of his “dear friend”, veteran journalist and Publishers Association of the Philippines Inc. (PAPI) Chairman Emeritus Johnny Dayang.

‘My heart is heavy with grief and disbelief over the tragic and senseless loss of my dear friend, Johnny Dayang,” Haresco said in a statement Wednesday, April 30.

Dayang was shot dead inside his home at Casa Dayang in Villa Salvacion in Kalibo Aklan at around 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 29. He was 89.

“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the brutal killing of Johnny in his beloved home province of Aklan. This act of violence is a deep wound to our community and to the values he upheld throughout his life,” Haresco said.

The veteran congressman described Dayang as a “towering figure not just in Aklan but in the entire Philippine media landscape’.

“He (Dayang) made indelible contributions as a gifted columnist, publisher, brilliant propagandist, and a committed Red Cross volunteer,” Haresco added.

“He was a proud Aklanon—a man of conviction who carried the voice of our province to the national stage,” the Aklan solon further said.

“May God’s light shine upon Johnny’s soul. May his life inspire us to uphold truth, justice, and peace. And when he is welcomed into God’s eternal embrace, may he hear the words: ‘You were My light. Well done, Johnny,’” Haresco said.