THE Press Photographers of the Philippines (PPP) condemned on Wednesday the harassment of media photographers, including The Manila Times’ chief of photographers Rene Dilan.
“Denouncing the incident as a clear violation of press freedom and the constitutional right to gather news, the PPP demands a swift and transparent PNP investigation to hold the responsible personnel accountable,” the photographers’ union said.
“The organization urges law enforcement to strictly respect journalists’ rights and protect their fundamental duty to inform the public without fear or intimidation,” the union said.
Times photographer Mike Alquinto filmed police trying to arrest and assault Dilan while he was covering the demonstration near the Aliw Theater, which is near the Philippine International Convention Center, where the Asean Foreign Ministerial Meeting was held.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined Asean foreign ministers yesterday.
The Photojournalists Center of the Philippines (PCP) also condemned the attacks on the photojournalists, including Dilan.
“Journalists and photojournalists perform a vital public service by documenting events of public interest. They must be allowed to carry out their work without threats, obstruction, or intimidation,” the PCP said on Wednesday.
“We call on the authorities to investigate these incidents, hold those responsible accountable, and ensure that all law enforcement personnel uphold and protect the rights of journalists in accordance with the Constitution, existing laws, and international standards on press freedom,” they added.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) also condemned the “acts of aggression” against members of the media.
“PTFoMS strongly condemns this act of aggression against members of the press performing their professional duties by covering public demonstrations. Journalists have the right to safely report and document matters of public interest,” the task force said.
“We encourage any member of the press who feels their rights have been violated to come forward and file complaints. ... We urge authorities to respect and protect the rights and safety of the press, allowing them to perform their duties independently. Any use of force or intimidation against journalists undermines press freedom and the public’s right to information,” they added.
