CEBU CITY – The United Nations’ Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression arrived in Cebu on Monday, January 29, and had a dialog with some members of the media here.

IRENE Khan (fourth from right), United Nations’ Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression, poses with some members of the Cebu media during her visit to Cebu City on Monday, January 29. (Contributed photo)
Irene Khan visited the Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO-7) headquarters to assess the government’s mechanism on human rights, especially freedom of opinion and expression.
Khan met members of the Cebu Citizen’s Press Council, Cebu Federation of Beat Journalists (CFBJ), and PRO-7 officers.
During the short dialog, Khan asked reporters if they had encountered harassment in the performance of their duties.
The PRO-7 presented its programs promoting human rights not just for the media but also for the community.
Hue Jyro Go, chief of staff of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security, was happy to see the healthy relationship between the media and the police here.
“She was delighted that our police here adhere to international human rights standards, under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” said Yu.
Police Lt. Col. Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of PRO-7 chief Police Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin, said the PRO-7 will conduct more activities that will further improve the relationship between the police and the media.
“One of the inputs that she recommended is that we will have a seminar for police officers to improve or promote media relations and security. We are doing that already but we will improve it more so that the transparency of police operations, accessibility of information will be sustained here in PRO-7,” Pelare said.
CFBJ president and veteran reporter Arnold Bustamante welcomed the visit of Khan, adding that the freedom of expression in Cebu is unhampered.
“Press freedom in Cebu is very much alive. We have not experienced incidents where we were prevented from performing our jobs,” said Bustamante.