By EJ Roque/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — International organizations Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) were pleased with the work being done by the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS).
PTFoMS executive director and Undersecretary Jose Joel Sy Egco on Monday discussed with officials of CPJ and UNESCO the accomplishments made by the task force in less than three years after its creation.
In the meeting, CPJ Asia program coordinator Dr. Steven Butler, CPJ board chair Kathleen Carroll, and UNESCO chair in Journalism and Communication of the University of Queensland, Australia Prof. Peter Greste vowed to keep in touch with the PTFoMS for developments in Philippine journalism.
Egco highlighted that in its 2018 Global Impunity Index (GII), the CPJ noted with optimism that while the Philippines remained at its previous ranking of No. 5, it was considered to have significantly improved its status in terms of protecting journalists.
Egco added that the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also delisted the Philippines from the top 5 Most Dangerous Countries in the World for Journalists on December 2018.
PTFoMS chief investigator Police Lt. Col. Eder Collantes gave a rundown on the updates on cases of violence against media practitioners.
Egco reiterated his promise to resign if the perpetrators of the 2009 Maguindanao massacre will not be convicted.
Maguindanao Governor Ismael “Toto” Mangudadatu, whose wife and 57 other people, including journalists, were killed in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, earlier said media freedom has been further strengthened when President Rodrigo R. Duterte assumed office in 2016.
Out of the 58 victims in the Nov. 23, 2009 Maguindanao Massacre, 32 were media workers covering the filing of certificate of candidacy of Mangudadatu, who was then challenging Andal “Unsay” Ampatuan Jr. for the gubernatorial post.
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