Panayam kay PTFOMS Executive Director Usec. Paul Gutierrez kaugnay ng umano'y pananakit ng isang miyembro ng Manibela sa isang radio reporter sa kasagsagan ng transport strike
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00:00 A member of Manibela's radio reporter team has not yet arrived in the area of the transport strike.
00:06 We will talk with Undersecretary Paul Gutierrez,
00:10 the Executive Director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security.
00:14 Usec Gutierrez, good afternoon.
00:17 Sir, you're on mute.
00:26 Yeah, yeah, is that okay? Good afternoon Usec Marge and thank you for the invitation.
00:34 Usec, we just asked for an update and details on the painful incident of a member of Manibela
00:40 in one of our media colleagues while covering the transport strike yesterday.
00:45 How is the radio reporter who was injured?
00:49 Well, Val Gonzalez of DCRA is okay. Right after that incident, I called him on the phone and we talked.
01:02 He was describing what happened on East Avenue. Actually, what happened, I can describe it, it's not a stop-and-go.
01:15 What happened here is a stop-and-go traffic because there's a traffic jam in that area.
01:22 While he was describing it, he felt that two people hit him on his side.
01:31 After that, we talked and he's in Quezon City Police District Station 10 in Camuningan.
01:40 He will file a complaint. We also called the Quezon City Police District Director, Police Brigadier General Red Maranan.
01:50 We learned and he was also involved in the incident.
01:55 I told him that the minimum is to call the president of Manibela, Mr. Balbuena,
02:05 to explain and answer what his members did to our media colleagues.
02:13 According to your investigation, what is the reason behind Manibela members' injury? How many people were injured?
02:21 Val did not notice how many or who was injured.
02:29 If we can see in the video footage, he was in front and Manibela members were behind him.
02:38 He was describing the situation in the area where he was hit by Manibela members.
02:47 I would like to point out that what happened to Val yesterday was not the first time that media officials who cover the protests of Manibela
03:03 abused the members of this organization.
03:08 The last protest action was when a radio broadcaster, Alan Gatos of DCW, was called a bias and a payor.
03:23 Yesterday, the members of Manibela were also saying the same thing to the media who cover their protests.
03:32 Again, this is not a stopgap. We also learned that in Dambuhal, a traffic that is blocked by the road,
03:46 even the patients in the hospitals along East Avenue are affected.
03:53 The ones who will get a check-up in Puso, the children, because there are many hospitals in that area, even the poor people,
04:03 should get a check-up from their doctors, which is also affected by the movement of Manibela.
04:13 By the way, I would like to add that we were told that this is not a transport strike or a stopgap, but a traffic stop.
04:22 Earlier, we passed through Makati and here in Buendia, they also closed that.
04:30 The line will be long. While we are talking, if they stopped blocking Buendia Avenue, the traffic will continue.
04:40 But earlier, we passed through the going edge, the southbound lane of Buendia, they also closed it.
04:54 Usec Paul, will the news agency of the reporter file a case and the group of Manibela will be the reporter?
05:03 Do we have an update on this?
05:05 Well, yesterday, he was with the UCPD Acamoninga Station and he said he will file a case.
05:18 I think that aside from being injured, he was also shouted at and he was also insulted by the members.
05:25 That's why he has the right to complain.
05:28 I just told him that our assurance to our brothers in the media is that your task force is always behind you to support you in these situations.
05:41 In these situations where our fellow media workers are putting their safety in danger,
05:48 what are your agencies' actions to give them protection in the future?
05:55 Yes. I also want to inform you that we have a standing circular from the DILG in 2022,
06:06 that all public information officers of the Philippine National Police, our brothers in the media should listen to them,
06:15 who are experiencing attacks like this. Our PNP-PIOs are mandated to help and take action in these situations.
06:28 This directive, we have a letter from DILG Secretary Benjor Abalus, we are asking him to reiterate this memorandum because it is a big help to our fellow citizens.
06:44 Once his new directive is released, we will hold a meeting with all PNP public information officers nationwide to discuss on how we can effectively implement this mechanism.
06:59 Thank you very much for your time.
07:02 Undersecretary Paul Gutierrez is the Executive Director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security.