MANILA – Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar has reassured the Duterte administration’s commitment in providing safer environment for media members in the country.
Andanar, along with Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) Executive Director Joel Sy Egco, made this assurance in a recent dialogue with media members in General Santos City.
He said Administrative Order No. 1 which President Rodrigo Duterte signed on Oct. 11, 2016, creating PTFoMS proved that the government was giving priority on the security of the media.
“The first administrative order that President Duterte signed created the PTFoMs so that the freedom of the press, freedom of expression, and freedom of speech in the Constitution will be respected and observed. That is how important media security is to the Duterte administration,” said Andanar, also co-chair of PTFoMS.
Andanar has attributed the Philippines’ improvement in the 2018 Global Impunity Index to the creation of PTFoMS.
Based on the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) , the country dropped second to fifth place of the most dangerous countries for journalists in the world.
He also said the Duterte administration is giving priority on the fast judicial conclusion of the Maguindanao massacre case.
A total of 58 people, including 32 media workers, were murdered on Nov. 23, 2009 while family members and friends of Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu were on their way to Sultan Kudarat to file certificate of candidacy (COC) for governor on his behalf.
Mangudadatu’s wife, Genalyn, and two sisters were among those killed in the incident, which CPJ described as the deadliest attack against the media.
Andanar tagged the Maguindanao massacre as a major setback for press freedom in the country.
Meanwhile, Egco said the bereaved families have received financial assistance which Duterte promised to them during last year’s anniversary of Maguindanao massacre.
“What is clear now is that the bereaved families received financial aid from the part of the government,” Egco said.
Egco said some donations were also given through private institutions.
“We need to ask whether the families received these (donations),” he said.
Both Andanar and Egco graced the wreath-laying rites at the massacre site in Sitio Salman, Barangay Masalay in Ampatuan, Maguindanao Friday last week.
Egco has expressed hope that the judicial conclusion of the case will be finally reached before the next year’s 10th anniversary of the incident.
He said the case is composed of 58 counts of murder, involving 188 accused, including members of the Ampatuan family, and 192 prosecution and 104 defense witnesses while 81 suspects remain at-large.
Among the accused were prime suspect Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan, Zaldy Ampatuan and Datu Sajid Islam Amputuan. Zaldy and Sajid were allowed by the court to post bail.
Acting Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon reportedly said multiple murder cases against Datu Unsay and other accused have been submitted for promulgation last November 5.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra purportedly said the case may be decided by the first half of next year.
Egco, a former journalist, said he will resign from post if the principal accused will not be convicted. (PNA)
