Cebuanos warned against group claiming to be media practitioners

CEBU CITY – Interior Secretary Eduardo Año has issued a memorandum circular cautioning their field offices and local chief executives against a group of supposed media practitioners who allegedly uses the logo of the department to gain favors.

In his memorandum dated December 5, Año said his office received reports that individuals who claim to be media practitioners purportedly use the logo and name of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to solicit funds, sponsorships, recruitment and securing favors from local government units (LGUs).

Año referred to the group as DILG-Napolcom Press Club. However, he did not mention where the group is based.

Cebu Federation of Beat Journalists (CFBJ) President and Regional Beat Reporter Mitchelle Palaubsanon however, said there is no group of media practitioners in Cebu bearing such name.

“Since its existence for 18 years, the Cebu Federation of Beat Journalists, an organization of legitimate media practitioners in Cebu, never resorted to such a lowly kind of solicitation,” said Palaubsanon.

“Any sighting of such illegal act involving any legitimate member of the federation must be reported to me aron akoa nang kastiguhon (for me to castigate them),” she added.

Meanwhile, DILG-Cebu Province head Jerome Gonzales said they have already encountered a similar incident in Cebu shortly before the May 2018 Barangay and SK Elections (BSKE).

“Before duna toy nigamit pod og DILG last year. Nag-organize sa hinterland barangays using DILG shirts. Bantay barangay, some sort of peace advocates kuno. They were using DILG shirts but not connected gyod to DILG or any government office,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales, however, clarified that this is yet the first time that he heard of media groups doing such act.

Gonzales urged officers-in-charge of all government agencies to immediately report to the Local Government Operations Officer (LGOO) if such group approaches them.

“Ang guidance gyod namo ana is that kung naay moabot diha sa inyong opisina sa kada LGU nga magpaila nga DILG, you challenge the person. In every LGU, usa ra gyod na ang magdala sa ngan sa DILG kanang LGOO or MLGOO for municipalities,” Gonzales said.

(If someone arrives in your office claiming that he is from DILG, challenge the person. In every LGU, there is only one person authorized by the DILG and that is the LGOO or MLGOO for the municipalities.)