MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) is ready to conduct warrant arrests on individuals proven to have threatened members of the media during the election season, its spokesperson said Saturday.
PNP Public Information Office chief Brig. Gen. Roderick Augustus Alba said the PNP has 133 “media security vanguards” or “focal persons” from the police agency’s Public Information Offices across the country. They are the designated focal persons for the protection of members of the media during the national and local elections this May.
READ: PNP assigns focal persons for media protection in May 2022 polls
“’Yung operating arm, kapag mayroong reklamo, we will be the one to validate, to confirm, at kung kailangan hulihin ‘yung mga taong nirereklamo if we have enough evidence ay we can do warrantless arrest, or kung mayroong nagfile ng kaso and may warrant of arrest, kailangan hulihin,” he said at the Laging Handa public briefing.
(We will be the one to validate and confirm, and the operating arm may conduct warrantless arrest if there is enough evidence. If cases are filed and there is a warrant of arrest, the police will arrest the suspects.)
“Of course tinitingnan din natin ang pagvalidate ng mga reklamo… Not all complaints… ‘yung iba dyan ay hindi valid complaints related to their jobs. These are personal but still we are willing to help,” he added.
(Of course we will also validate the complaints. Some of the complaints are not valid and not related to their jobs. Some are personal, but still we are willing to help.)
The police stations, he said, will still be the “operating arm” of the PNP in dealing with complaints from the media regarding threats to their security.