MANILA – To mark the yearend, the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) Secretariat met with several officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in key regions of the country to promote the safety and security of local journalists, broadcasters and other media practitioners.
Pursuant to its mandate to protect the life, liberty and security of media workers, officials of PTFoMS Secretariat visited the Police Regional Offices (PROs) of Region 7 (Central Visayas) at Camp Sergio Osmeña in Cebu City; Region 8 (Eastern Visayas) at Camp Sec. Kang Leon in Tacloban City, Leyte; and Region 4-B (Mimaropa) at Camp Efigenio Navarro in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro during the first and second week this month.
Case conferences were also held with the chiefs of police and investigators on case of local police to discuss the updates on cases of violence committed against media workers in their respective areas of jurisdiction. Problems that might have been encountered during investigations were also resolved.
PTFoMs said the safety and welfare of all members of the press is a top concern of the Marcos administration.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has acknowledged the media's importance in nation building, saying on several occasions that his administration would respect and protect the rights of media workers.
Marcos’ unwavering commitment to safeguard press freedom is best demonstrated by the manpower and resources poured into in bringing to justice those responsible for the killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid. This also serves as a warning that the full force of Presidential power will be brought to bear upon those who seek to harm any member of the press.
Lawyer Perry Solis, officer-in-charge of the PTFoMS Secretariat, headed the delegation, together with PTFoMS officers – Rodante Santos II, Aristoteles Estrella, John Aquino and Jeffrey Sy Egco. The official visits are part of its yearlong proactive measures to promote the safety of journalists all over the country.
During the visits, Solis emphasized the significance of investigating these cases.
“Any form of violence committed against media workers is a human rights issue that transgresses upon the freedoms of expression, of speech and of the press and the right of the people to truthful information. These, in turn, severely impact the very foundations of democracy,” he said.
The PTFoMS Secretariat also instructed police officials who attended the conference to remind journalists in their respective areas to abide by the Journalist’s Code of Ethics as a means to ensure their safety.
It also turned over several copies of the “Handbook on Personal Security Measures for Media Practitioners” for distribution to media workers and thanked the PNP for its continued support to the mandate of the PTFoMS to bring to justice all perpetrators of media killings.
The PTFoMS was established under Administrative Order No. 1 in 2016 as a task force directly under the Office of the President to combat the perceived impunity in killings of journalists that transpired during past administrations.
With the creation of the PTFoMS, media workers nationwide now have a direct line to the highest executive office of the land to air their concerns.
The PTFoMS is an inter-agency task force composed of various law enforcement agencies with the participation of several private media organizations as observers.
Its main responsibility is to oversee the investigation of cases of violence committed against media workers. As such, it is co-chaired by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and Office of the Press Secretary Officer-In-Charge, lawyer Cheloy Garafil.
The PTFoMS reminds all journalists and media practitioners to report any threat or harassment so that the matter can be thoroughly and swiftly acted upon by authorities.
In collaboration with the PNP, the PTFoMS has the ability to provide “real time” protection to any journalist who has been unduly harassed or threatened, especially with the designation of all PNP’s Public Information Officers as Media Security Vanguards. (PNA)
