PNP to apply warrantless arrests vs suspects who threaten journalists

As Eleksyon 2022 nears, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it would conduct warrantless arrests on suspects who were found to have threatened journalists.

"At kung kailangan hulihin 'yung mga taong inirereklamo, kung meron tayong enough evidence, we could do warrantless arrests or kung mayroon tayong nag-file ng kaso, may warrants of arrests, puwede nating hulihin," PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Roderick Augustus Alba said at the Laging Handa briefing.

(If these suspects who have complaints against them need to be arrested, if we have enough evidence, we could implement warrantless arrests. Or if we have suspects who have cases against them or with a warrant of arrest, we can nab them.)

"Of course tinitingnan din natin dito 'yung pag-validate ng mga reklamo, because not all complaints... 'yung iba ay hindi valid complaints related to their jobs. Of course these are personal but still we are still willing to help," Alba added.

(Of course, we also have to validate a complaint. Some complaints may have nothing to do with a journalist's work. These are personal matters, but still, we are still willing to help.)

Some 1,899 police officers would serve as “media security vanguards” that would address threats and security problems of journalists during the 2022 election period, the PNP said.

The regional PIO chiefs would serve as the focal persons at the regional level, Alba said.

The PNP has 133 public information offices in police regional and city offices nationwide.

Since the launch of “Media Security Vanguards” last January 20, the PNP had not received any report or complaints on threats made against media personalities.

However, the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management was looking into 31 media-related deaths going back to 2016. Twenty-six (26) cases were filed at the prosecutor's office or the courts.

Three threat cases

Meanwhile, during the briefing, Presidential Task Force on Media Security Executive Director Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco reported on three cases of alleged threats against journalists: one near the National Capital Region, one in the Bicol Region, and one in Mindanao.

Egco also revealed that the PTFoMS was coordinating with the Commission on Elections on exempting media personnel from the election gun ban.

Egco said PTFoMS would meet with Comelec officials on February 2 to discuss the matter.

"We are going to have a meeting with them and probably come up with an arrangement on how we can hasten on how we can help our colleagues... this is optional for those who approached us and wanted to be exempted," Egco said in a mix of English and Filipino.

"They can do that individually also. They can apply for individual exemption. Our assessment is also important, so we could certify to grant them exemption," he added. — DVM, GMA News