Fernando Batul

Fernando "Dong" Ulson Batul (May 24, 1969 – May 22, 2006) was a Filipino journalist and politician.

Batul worked as a radio broadcaster and commentator in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines.

Fernando "Dong" Batul was born on May 24, 1969, in (then-municipality) Puerto Princesa, Palawan; he was the youngest of the seven children of Conrada Ulson, a market vendor, and Alejandro Batul (now deceased), a carpenter, both of Cuyo.

Batul remained a bachelor throughout his life.

Batul finished elementary at East Central School in 1982 and secondary at Palawan National School in 1986.

In 1989, he was elected chairperson of the university's student council.

He was also active in civic organizations, and being a Roman Catholic, also became an official of church youth groups.

After college, Batul worked as a tricycle driver for few months.

He later started his service in government.

In 1990, he finished Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in Palawan State College, and took also Philosophy and Master of Arts in Public Administration.

Batul became involved in campus politics.

Since he was in secondary school, he became leader of various student organizations, as well as an activist.

From 1990 to 2000, he worked at the Crocodile Farming Institute (CFI), then a project of governments of the Philippines, through Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and of Japan, through Japan International Cooperation Agency, under the management of Dr. Gerardo Ortega.

He first worked as a clerk, eventually became the project's information officer.

By that time, CFI became known worldwide; their information campaign led to CFI being a main tourist destination.

As an Information Officer, he used his skill in speech on giving accurate information about the importance of the two endangered species of crocodiles (Crocodylus mindorensis and Crocodylus porosus) and the purposes and tasks of this project.

There, he had a small business of selling souvenir items.

"He began his work in the media in the 1990s when he was just a clerk in Crocodile Farm [Institute,] Inc."

Batul, in his media career, exposed irregularities in various agencies.

Dong continued being an activist in the early 1990s, especially against then-popular jueteng.

With his friend Edmond Gastanes, he established Bunyog Palawan, an alternative newsletter, to expose social issues in the province.

With his own money, regular issues were published within almost five years, with 2,000 copies distributed provincewide.

The two were later charged of libel by then Narra municipal mayor Clarito Demaala, whom they implicated in jueteng activities in an article.

Almost two years later, the case was ordered dismissed by the Department of Justice due to lack of merit.

Batul also worked for radio stations.

Being a popular, hard-hitting broadcaster and commentator in Palawan, his reporting focused on alleged corruption, in government and in media in the province, and nepotism; as well as politics and the military's security lapses in handling insurgents.

His criticisms earned him the ire of local politicians, military officials, erring government personnel, and even rival broadcasters.

At the same time that he was a city government employee, he first hosted an evening public service program, Kulog at Kidlat, which aired over RGMA Super Radyo –DYSP from February 1, 1998 until prior to entering politics in 2001.

Due to its popularity, both Batul and the station decided to establish Kulog at Kidlat Foundation, Inc. in 1999.

Since then, he became known as a critic of the administration of then city mayor Edward Hagedorn, who then filed another, several libel complaints against him.

He was elected city vice mayor in 2001 but was unseated before he could finish his term.

According to Hagedorn, following his victory in the 2002 recall election, he dropped the case.

Batul was briefly detained by National Bureau of Investigation.

After his stint in politics, in 2005, Batul resumed his radio career on another station, now-defunct DYPR-AM, which was owned by the Palawan Broadcasting Corporation.

He was an anchorman of provincial radio station DYPR-AM when he was assassinated in 2006.

One of the two gunmen, a policeman, was later acquitted for the killing.

Batul was the first journalist killed in Palawan, and the 5th broadcaster killed in the Philippines in that year.

He was known for his commentaries that were critical of politicians, military officials, rival radio commentators and others.

Most of his remarks were made towards the mayor's administration about the quality of governance in Palawan.

He had many supporters, but he angered many with his commentaries.