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BY MAE SINGUAY
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Friday. September 15, 2017
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BACOLOD City – Top police officials in Negros Occidental denied there was any directive from the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame denying the press access to spot reports.
Senior superintendents Rodolfo Castil and Jack Wanky, heads of police forces in the province and this capital city, respectively, said they have not received any such memo supposedly from PNP chief Ronald Dela Rosa.
In Manila, PNP spokesperson Dionardo Carlos clarified there was no such directive but said they were reiterating their PNP-media relations policies and manual.
A news report said the Police Regional Office 7 in Cebu City had denied the press access to spot reports, a supposed new order from Camp Crame.
According to Carlos, the PNP was just reminding all its units to adhere to guidelines in releasing data to journalists, taking in particular consideration the security classification of such information.
PNP guidelines provide that press/news releases and press statements are among documents that may be released to the media.
Journalists may still access blotters but the release of spot reports will depend on the police units’ public information officers, Carlos clarified further.
Yesterday, Castil said he has not received such order.
Perhaps what Camp Crame wants was for spot reports to be sent out in the form of press releases, which follow a format, said Castil.
“Hindi naman siguro ganoon, na i-prohibit ang media,” he said. “Ang ibig sabihin lang siguro, if mayroon talagang memo, na limited lang iyong information na makukuha ng media.”
For his part, Wanky said he would have informed the local press immediately if there was any such directive.
Meanwhile, Rep. Greg Gasataya, a former media practitioner, said the PNP must provide the public information “as long as it will not threaten national security and it is beneficial to the welfare of the public.”
“It is just a matter of explaining to the media what should be and should not be released,” the congressman added.
Such directive, according to Negros Press Club president Boy Duran, “could be interpreted as a way of preventing the media from reporting to the public what really transpired during police operations.”
Denying the media of information will in effect deny the public of information, and this is unfair, Duran stressed.
Duran believes journalists are responsible enough to “know the boundaries of their obligations.”/PN
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