BINIGYANG -DIIN ng Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) na mayroong itong malakas at maaasahan na partnership sa mga makabuluhang ahensiya ng pamahalaan na may atas na i-promote at protektahan ang buhay, kalayaan at seguridad ng mga miyembro ng mga mamamahayag.

Tinukoy ang 100% na case resolution ng karahasan laban sa mga mamamahayag sa ilalim ng administrasyong Marcos.

“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,” ayon kay PTFoMS Executive Director Usec. Paul M. Gutierrez.

Ang PTFoMS at Iba pang kaugnay na ahensiya ng pamahalaan ay mayroong kasunduan kay Khan sa naging pagbisita nito sa bansa mula Enero 22 hanggang Pebrero 2, 2024, natanggap ang kopya ng kanilang preliminary observations matapos ang kanilang departure.

Sa katunayan, sa apat na kaso ng media killings sa ilalim ng administrasyon na tinukoy ni Ms. Khan, ang mga ito ay ang Renato Blanco (September 18, 2022), Percival Mabasa (October 3, 2022), Cris Bundoquin (May 29, 2023) at Juan ‘DJ Johnny Walker’ Jumalon (November 5, 2023), sinasabing nabigyan ng maling impormasyon si Khan na tanging isang kaso lamang ang nausig at may isa pang nasa proseso ng imbestigasyon.

“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,” ayon kay Gutierrez.

“All these positive developments, needless to say, are products of the close coordination between the PTFoMS and our law enforcement agencies,” diing pahayag nito.

Pinasalamatan naman ni Gutierrez ang Commission on Human Rights (CHR) at si chair, Atty. Richard Palpal-latoc, para sa “strong partnership” ng kanilang ahensiya para pagtibayin ang press freedom at human rights, sinasabing ang CHR ay bahagi rin ng PTFoMS.

Aniya pa, nakatakdang lagdaan ng magkabilang panig ang memorandum of understanding para mas palakasin pa ang kanilang pakikipag-ugnayan at partnership.

“We always view our partnership with the CHR in a positive light as we are on the same page when it comes to the promotion and strengthening of human rights in general and the right to freedom of opinion and expression in particular. Thus, we welcome any suggestion or constructive criticism coming from it,” ayon pa rin kay Gutierrez.

Idinagdag pa nito na sa ngayon ay naghahanda na ang PTFoMS ng kanilang pormal na pagtugon sa preliminary observations ni Khan na inaasahang maghahain ng kanyang initial report sa High Commissioner for Human Rights ng United Nations sa kalagitnaan ng taon.

“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.,” ayon kay Gutierrez. (Daris Jose)