PNP, AFP set 'date' with media over The Pen siege

The police and military have set a Wednesday "date" with the media to thresh out issues that stemmed from last Thursday's siege of The Peninsula Manila in Makati City. Dir. Gen. Avelino Razon Jr, chief of the Philippine National Police, said the PNP and the Armed Forces were hoping to iron out kinks with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP). "Magkakaroon ng usapan ang PNP, AFP at KBP para pag-usapan ang naging problema sa Manila Pen at di maulit ang situation (We're going to have a talk with the AFP and KBP to discuss the problem so what happened will not be repeated)," Razon said in an interview on dzBB radio Sunday. He was referring to the arrest of journalists covering the more than six-hour failed power grab at the hotel led by Senator Antonio Trillanes Iv and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim. Several journalists working for foreign and local media outfits were detained and "processed" after the incident. The arrest and detention of the journalists drew flak from local and international media groups, which scored the Arroyo administration for its "pattern of intimidation and repression." As this developed, Razon insisted the situation was back to normal, even as the PNP went on full alert at midnight Saturday. He nevertheless urged the public to report suspicious persons or movements to 2920, 117, or through his cell phone at 0917-8475757. - GMANews.TV