Task force on media security 'notes with concern' PH ranking as 7th worst country for media

The country's presidential task force on media security has expressed concern over an international advocacy group's ranking that placed the Philippines as the 7th worst country in the world for journalists as it said the Philippine government prioritizes media safety.

In a statement, the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) said it "notes with concern" the Global Impunity Index (GII) released by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a US-based media advocacy group, where the Philippines remained in 7th place, its rank since 2020.

According to PTFoMS, the safety of all journalists and media practitioners is a top priority of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

"The administration of President Marcos condemns in the strongest terms all cases of threats, harassment, or violence committed against the members of the press, and it is working very hard with all government agencies and stakeholders to address this problem through the PTFoMS," it said Thursday.

In coming up with the ranking, GII calculated the number of unsolved journalist murders as a percentage of each country’s population.

But for the country's media security task force, "the 7th rank was expected because the report covered a ten-year period between September 1, 2012, and August 31, 2022."

Worth noting, it asserted, is that "most of the cases that transpired during this ten-year period have already been fully investigated, with cases already filed in court."

"The PTFoMS has already set up plans to work with the judiciary to prioritize these cases," it added.

Currently, the task force said, it is already working with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and media groups to develop guidelines on how law-enforcement agencies will protect media workers.