The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) deemed it "unfair" to downgrade the current inter-agency efforts to stop violence against the media in the country, citing that recent cases of violence against journalists have been resolved.
Responding to the observations and suggestions of United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur Irene Khan during her recent visit in the Philippines, the PTFoMS stressed it has a strong and reliable partnership with relevant government agencies tasked to promote and protect the life, liberty and security of the members of the press.
“While we always recognize that there will always be room for improvement and the task ahead of us always proved challenging, it would be unfair to downgrade the current inter-agency effort to address violence against the media headed by the PTFoMS as lacking ‘institutional capacity, proper systems or a clear policy framework on the protection and safety and prevention of attacks on journalist,’ as mentioned in the preliminary observations by UNSR Irene Khan,” PTFoMS Executive Director Paul Gutierrez said.
Khan has earlier recommended that the government "consider setting up a fully dedicated, properly resourced well-institutionalized mechanism, based on good practices from other countries, appropriate training and stronger coordination with police, the media and other actors."
Gutierrez pointed out that actions taken toward the resolution of the cases of the killings of journalists "are products of the close coordination between the PTFoMS and our law enforcement agencies,” emphasizing that "all the suspects have already been identified."
The official also said that Khan "must have been misinformed" on the status of the cases of violence against journalists in the country.
“In fact, of the four cases of media killings under the current administration cited by Ms. Khan—Renato Blanco (September 18, 2022), Percival Mabasa (October 3, 2022), Cris Bundoquin (May 29, 2023) and Juan ‘DJ Johnny Walker’ Jumalon (November 5, 2023), she must have been misinformed that only ‘one case’ has been prosecuted and ‘another’ is in the process of investigation," Gutierrez said.
“This conclusion is erroneous, as the facts of these incidents showed that all the suspects have already been identified, some of them already in detention and already undergoing trial, with the exception of the Jumalon case where the complaint for murder and theft against the 3 identified suspects are presently under evaluation by the provincial prosecutor of Misamis Occidental," he added.
Gutierrez, however, stressed that the PTFoMS welcomes any suggestion or constructive criticisms when it comes to the promotion and strengthening of human rights in general and the right to freedom of opinion and expression in particular.
He added the PTFoMS is now preparing their formal reply to the preliminary observations of Khan who is expected to file her initial report to the United Nations’ High Commissioner for Human Rights by the middle of the year.
“Moving forward, we intend to clarify any wrong impression or conclusion that Ms. Khan formed during her visit while seriously studying her recommendations to further strengthen our effort towards creating a media environment that is safe and free from fear as directed by Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” Gutierrez said.