‘Iloilo City is a safe place for media’

THE Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) assured that the city is a safe place for media practitioners.

Senior Superintendent Martin Defensor, ICPO chief, expressed 100 percent commitment to the safety of media practitioners while performing their duties without fear of harassment.

This was the ICPO’s response to the initiative of the Duterte administration to involve the whole system of bureaucracy in the fight against media killings.

“We consider you (media) as partners,” he said.

He said the Duterte administration’s move proves that the media is highly regarded by the government.

“Isa kayo (media) sa may mga big roles sa society naton. Pinakadako kayo na mag-influence sa mga tawo,” he said.

So far, the ICPO chief said he has not heard of media harassment cases, except the attempted break-in at Aksyon Radyo station on Nov 19, 2015. The suspects were led by slain suspected drug lord Melvin Odicta Sr.

The incident had to do with the radio station’s active campaign against illegal drugs in Iloilo City.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) identified the slain Odicta Sr. and his son Melvin Jr. and village councilor Jesus “Jing-Jing” Espinosa Jr. as among the intruders.

The Duterte administration formed the Presidential Task Force on Media Security to look into cases of media harassment.

The task force is composed of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Department of Justice (DOJ), Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of National Defense (DND), Presidential Human Rights Committee, and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

The task force primarily aims to ensure a safe environment for media workers.

The Operational Guidelines of Administrative Order No. 1, which established the lead coordinating body tasked to investigate media killings, were presented to the attendees on Dec 5, 2018 at the Iloilo Convention Center in Mandurriao district, Iloilo City.

SOURCE: The Daily Guardian

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