By Gail Momblan/Philippine News Agency
ILOILO CITY — The Police Regional Office 6 (Western Visayas) on Monday recognized the role of the media in the better delivery of public service.
Brig. Gen. John Bulalacao, PRO-6 director, told chiefs of police in the region who were attending a two-day seminar on media relations, about the importance of fostering healthy relations between the police and media practitioners.
Bulalacao, who will retire on June 27, said keeping a good relationship with the media is one of the factors why he considers his career “successful.”
“Always do the right thing and let the people know that you are doing the right thing. Use the services of the media,” he said in his speech during the seminar, held at the Diamond Jubilee Hall at the Department of Education, Division of Iloilo City compound here.
To attain the support of the community, the police should “collaborate effectively with the media,” Bulalacao said.
The media, he said, has the “power to influence the public”, facilitate feedback-gathering, and lead the police to better public service.
Bulalacao also noted that the police should understand situations and “communicate effectively” to deliver the right message to the media and the public.
“I saw the need for this seminar because I received feedback from media practitioners. They tell me that some of our chiefs of police in the region hesitate to be interviewed or answer questions from the media,” he said in an interview.
The seminar also discussed the right person in a police station to speak to the media.
“We noticed in the past that there were media practitioners being pushed towards the investigator by the chief of police, and vice versa, in order for them to get the information they need. So with this seminar, each one will know their roles when it comes to dealing with the media,” Bulalacao said, adding that certain information needs to be cleared with the higher office before they are released.
On Tuesday, media practitioners were invited to attend the lecture on the Philippine National Police Freedom of Information Manual.
After the two-day seminar, Bulalacao said he expected all chiefs of police to be less hesitant in communicating with the media, so the latter could obtain valuable information.
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