MANILA -- The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) will have closer coordination with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) beginning next year, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar said Sunday.
In an interview over radio dzBB, Andanar said PTFoMS Executive Director, Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco, has informed him about the team-up between the task force and UNESCO, particularly on what the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte has been doing to end impunity for crimes against journalists in the country.
“Ang UNESCO at ang Presidential Task Force on Media Security ay magkakaroon po ng team-up para po sa mga report mula sa Pilipinas pagdating po sa impunity -- report po sa media violence -- para iyong nakakarating lang po na balita doon sa kanila ay totoong balita (UNESCO and PTFoMS will team up so that only the factual reports when it comes to impunity -- reports on media violence -- will reach them),” Andanar said.
Andanar said the Philippine government through PTFoMS has also been communicating with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters’ Without Borders (RSF), two of several UNESCO’s journalism group partners.
Last week, the RSF came out with a report where the Philippines is already out of the top five most dangerous countries for journalists in 2018.
The RSF released the list nearly two months after the CPJ came out with the 2018 Global Impunity Index where the Philippines remains in the top five despite an ‘improved’ status.
The RSF’s report showed that a total of 80 journalists were killed this year, 348 are presently in prison and 60 are being held hostage. It was higher compared to 65 killed in 2017.
The Philippines, which was among the RSF’s top five most dangerous countries for media last year, has three journalists killed this year.
The three include Joey Llana of dwZR Radio from Albay killed on July 20; Dennis Denora of Trends and Times from Panabo City (June 7); and, Edmund Sestoso of dyGB 91.7 from Dumaguete City (May 1).
Through the help of PTFoMS, Andanar said charges were filed a few weeks ago against the suspected killers of Llana.
Andanar attributed this development to Duterte’s signing of Administrative Order No. 01 creating PTFoMS on October 11, 2016.
“The PTFoMS shall relentlessly give attention to the protection of journalists and other media workers to end the culture of impunity that has long hounded the ranks of the country’s Fourth Estate,” Andanar said in a statement last week. (PNA)
