PCO appeals to media: Exercise restraint in coverage to avoid copy cats

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Wednesday appealed to media organizations to refrain from including details about school shooting incidents that may encourage “copycat acts” or crimes committed by imitating previous crimes.

PCO Secretary Dave Gomez called on media to exercise extreme care and responsibility in covering incidents involving minors.

“In particular, we ask for restraint in reporting that may compromise the dignity, safety, and privacy of minors, the bereaved families, and the ongoing response and investigation efforts, and to avoid details that may encourage copycat acts,” he said in a statement.

He was referring to the incident wherein two students died on Tuesday, one of them the alleged shooter, following a shooting incident at Ateneo de Zamboanga University.

Gomez, meanwhile, reiterated that all state media must exercise the highest level of caution in how such tragedies are reported.

In a separate briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has already tasked the Department of Education (DepEd) to conduct a nationwide school safety audit.

She said the results and the department’s efforts have been presented to the president, including the installation of metal detectors and CCTV as well as the increase of security guards for big schools.

On August 25, Castro said that schools will conduct nationwide safety drill.

Meanwhile, she said the Philippine National Police is in continuous coordination with schools, DepEd, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and local government units. — BAP, GMA News