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
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.