Presidential Task Force on Media Security Executive Director, Undersecretary Joey Sy Egco (File photo) MANILA - It is a welcome development to exclude media practitioners from getting threat assessment for firearms licenses, Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) Executive Director, Undersecretary Joey Sy Egco, said Thursday. In a radio interview, Egco cited it takes time and a lot of effort to undergo a threat assessment to get a gun permit. He noted that the assessment is already unnecessary since the jobs of media practitioners are already dangerous, especially for those who were exposing corruption and reporting abuse of power. "When you fulfill your duty or when you advocate a campaign or when you crusade for something-automatically the media will hit someone," Egco said over Radyo Pilipinas. Egco also welcomed the Republic Act (RA) No. 11766, signed by Duterte on May 6, extending the validity of the license to possess firearms and ammunition, from two years
(Photo courtesy of CIDG) MANILA -The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) on Thursday announced the arrest of another suspect in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre in Cotabato City. In a statement sent to reporters, the CIDG said Datu Harris Ampatuan Macapendeng, the incumbent Barangay Chairperson of Tuayan, Datu Hoffer town in Maguindanao province with a monetary reward of PHP300,000 under DILG Memo Circular 2010-76, has been arrested by personnel of the CIDG Maguindanao Field Unit on Wednesday afternoon at the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Compound, Cotabato City. Joint elements of the local police served the warrant of arrest for the crime of 43 counts of murder issued by Judge Jocelyn Solis Reyes of Branch 221 of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Quezon City against the suspect. Macapendeng was part of the Ampatuan private army and was among those who attended the meetings where the Ampatuans planned the massacre and
Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) Executive Director, Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco (File photo) MANILA - The Philippines has taken "positive steps" in protecting journalists, according to the 2021-2022 "World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development Global Report" released recently by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In a statement Thursday, Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco, Executive Director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS), welcomed the comprehensive and impartial report as proof of the real commitment of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte to safeguard press freedom in the country through the PTFoMS. Egco said the UNESCO Global Report highlighted the Philippines as among the very few countries in the world that have undertaken "good practices and positive measures" in the safety of journalists. He said the UNESCO report took note of the concrete m
Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) executive director, Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco (File photo) MANILA - Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) executive director, Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco on Friday appealed to both the Senate and the House of Representatives to immediately conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the "criminal enterprise" of a Pangasinan-based newsman, involving the filing of bogus rape charges. Ego said the scheme has already victimized several government officials in what could be best described as a "rape case for hire". In a statement, Egco, as head of the country's lead agency mandated to protect journalists from threats and violence, said he officially wrote Senate President Vicente Sotto III and ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Rowena Nina Taduran of ACT-CIS, to investigate the "modus operandi" of Jaime Aquino. Aquino's modus targeted public officials through the filing of bogus criminal complaint