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AMID MARAWI CRISIS

Duterte asks media to exercise prudence in covering military ops


President Rodrigo Duterte has asked the media to be prudent in covering the operations of the military amid the declaration of martial law in Mindanao.

The request was made in General Order No. 1 implementing Proclamation No. 216, which declared martial law in Mindanao and suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus. It was signed May 30.

"The role of the media is vital in ensuring the timely dissemination of true and correct information to the public," the order stated.

"Media practitioners are therefore requested to exercise prudence in the performance of their duty so as not to compromise the security and the safety of the Armed Forces and law enforcement personnel, and enable them to effectively discharge their duties and functions under this Order."

The Department of National Defense, meanwhile, issued a clarification on this particular section of the general order. 

“The public has the right to know what is happening on the ground. However, there is a need for us to balance this right with matters that affect national security,” the department said in a statement.

The DND then asked the media not to put the Filipino troops at risk by divulging information that threaten operational security.

“Pictures and vital information like troop disposition, location, composition, unit size, and capability of military equipment used should be kept confidential and not openly shared, specially in social media,” it read.

“In addition, we ask our friends from the media and the general public to be very discerning in airing out obvious propaganda materials from the enemy. This might cause undue panic and may affect operations being conducted by our security forces,” the statement added.

Armed Forces spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla Jr. previously announced that the military would exercise its right to censure over social media posts for security reasons.

Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao last week following armed confrontations between government forces and members of the ISIS-inspired Maute group in Marawi City.

Maute group laid siege to Marawi City on May 23, burning establishments and taking civilians hostage in response to the law enforcement operation against Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon, who has been recognized by ISIS as its top honcho in Southeast Asia. —KBK, GMA News

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