Duterte forms task force on media killings

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BY ADRIAN STEWART CO and GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte signed an administrative order forming a task force that will investigate media killings.
Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said the task force will focus on the violations of the right to life, liberty and security of journalists and other media personalities.
Media men receiving threats to their life or those being bullied on social media could lodge their concern to the task force to be headed by Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre and co chaired by Andanar.
“Mandate of the presidential task force against media killings is to ensure a safe environment for media workers. The President cares for the media and freedom of the press,” Andanar said.
Other members of the Task Force are the Interior secretary, National Defense secretary, Solicitor General, executive director of the presidential human rights committee, chief-of-staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, director general of the Philippine National Police, and director of the National Bureau of Investigation.
The chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights and the Office of the Ombudsman were also invited as observers and resource persons, said Andanar.
The task force may be convened after Duterte’s trip to China.
‘WELCOME DEVELOPMENT’
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) Iloilo chapter welcomed the task force’s creation.
“We hope this will be different from the task forces or bodies created by previous administrations which failed to resolve much less stop the killings,” the group said.
According to NUJP, the task force will only be effective if the Duterte administration is genuinely serious in eliminating the culture of impunity that has encouraged attacks and killings against Filipino journalists.
“For one, the President and other officials of his administration should not justify attacks and killings of journalists for whatever reasons,” the group stressed.
NUJP also said the government should categorically deplore and address attacks and threats online by trolls and supporters of the President against journalists deemed critical of the policies and programs of the administration.
Meanwhile, radio report Joel Franco of RMN Iloilo and former president of the Iloilo City Hall Press Corps said the government must not only focus on investigating media killings.
“Ang dapat himuon amo nga punggan ang possible harassment kag pagpamatay sa media,” sand Franco.
Veteran media practitioner Bert Ladera, on the other hand, said the task force’s creation showed that the President is “acknowledging the vital role of media in nation-building, a move that entails how he cares for media practitioners, a deep concern for the rights and privileges of the member of the Fourth estate.”/PN

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