By Pearl Gumapos
The Philippine National Police (PNP), in coordination with the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS), has assigned media security vanguards to help in the protection of members of the media amid the upcoming 2022 elections.
“This is in response, actually, doon sa hamon ng Presidential Task Force on Media Security to protect the members of the fourth estate,” PNP Spokesperson PBGen. Roderick Augustus Alba said on Saturday (Jan. 29) during the Laging Handa public briefing.
Currently, there are 133 existing media security vanguards or focal persons.
“Kami po sa PNP ay nakikiisa po. We deemed it proper na magkakaroon ng pupuntahan iyong ating kasamahan sa media, particularly those [na] kasama sa legitimate media outlets,” he said.
“Halimbawa ay may threat o risk sa kanilang buhay, we have the mechanism na tulungan po iyong ating kababayan, hindi lang po iyong members ng media but, this time around, there is a dedication na kailangan mabigyan sila ng attention,” he added.
Meanwhile, PTFoMS Executive Director Joel Egco said there is a spike in media violence before, during, and after elections, making it more significant to look after media workers.
BASAHIN: Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) Executive Director Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco, ginagawa ng task force ang lahat ng paraan upang maprotektahan ang buhay at hanapbuhay ng mga media workers sa bansa.
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— PTVph (@PTVph) January 29, 2022
“Let us not forget what happened in Maguindanao on Nov. 23, 2009. Election season na ito,” Egco said.
“We don’t want that incident to happen again. Ayaw natin may masaktan. Ayaw natin may matakot. Ayaw natin may mamatay. And I’m saying this as a journalist myself, not as a government official,” he added. -ag
