MPD journalists say PNP directive on spot reports to affect delivery of factual news

Journalists covering the Manila Police District (MPD) on Thursday voiced their strong opposition to the new policy of the Philippine National Police (PNP) restricting access to spot reports.

In a press statement signed by their president Mer Layson, the MPD Press Corps said the new policy "will diminish or curtail our ability to effectively deliver factual news."

"Withholding the spot reports to legitimate media practitioners could be construed as  an effort ot hide facts and sanitize every story that would come out in favor of the police," the group said.

It added that restricting access to spot reports does not only mean curtailment of the freedom of the press "but also an assault to the FREEDOM OF INFORMATION."

PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent Dionardo Carlos on Wednesday confirmed that there is a directive restricting journalists from obtaining spot reports, but said it was not new, having been issued on February 18, 2014.

Carlos said the PNP leadership only made a reiteration of the directive so that all police units know how to properly handle documents that have "security classification.”

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), which condemned a police directive, has called on  PNP chief Director General Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa to revoke the order for being illegal.

The police force is currently under fire for the high number of drug suspects killed during anti-drug operations, among them minors who allegedly engaged policemen in a shootout. —KBK, GMA News