Duterte
President Rodrigo Duterte has signed his first administrative order (AO) creating a Presidential Task Force against media killings, a Palace executive said on Thursday.
“President Duterte has signed administrative order number 1 creating the Presidential Task Force on the violation of the right to life, liberty and security of members of the media,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar told reporters in a press briefing.
Andanar said Duterte “cares” for the media and believes in press freedom.
“The reason why the President wanted this Admin Order or Administrative Order No. 1 is because he cares for you, for us. And he believes in freedom of the press,” he said.
Andanar said Duterte signed the AO last Tuesday.
Section 2 of the order said the task force “shall have the mandate of ensuring a safe environment for Media Workers.”
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II will serve as the chairperson of the task force. Its members will include Andanar as co-chairperson, Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Solicitor General Jose Calida, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Ricardo Visaya,
Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa, National Bureau of Investigation Director Dante Gierran and the executive director of the Presidential Human Rights Committee.
The AO stated that the task force would invite the chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the Ombudsman as observers and resource persons.
Heads of media organizations, which include the National Press Club (NPC), the National Union of Journalist of the Philippines (NUJP), Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP), Publishers Association of the Philippines (PAPI) and Philippine Press Institute (PPI), would also be invited.
In its first 30 days, the newly formed task force would make an inventory of all cases of violence against media workers committed by state and non-state forces.