Facade of the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame. Image from pnp.gov.ph website
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has vowed to promptly take action after radio blocktime host Flo Hervias was mauled by still unidentified assailants in Iloilo City.
The PNP, in a statement, said it already ordered the Iloilo City Police Office to provide security to Hervias, who was assaulted outside the RMN Iloilo building in La Paz, shortly after his program “Banwa-binaga (Nation, Think) aired on Friday morning.
READ: Radio blocktimer mauled outside RMN building in Iloilo
“The PNP is taking urgent action on another case of an incident involving a member of the media,” it said.
The Iloilo City Police Office has also started its thorough investigation and city-wide dragnet operations to identify and arrest the perpetrators.
Random checkpoints will likewise be conducted in the city, according to the PNP.
“Any assault on working journalists is being considered by the PNP as a serious case that deserves prompt and preferential action,” it added.
PNP chief General Rofolfo Azurin Jr., meanwhile, expressed confidence that the probe on Hervias’ case “will yield positive development in due time.”
“Tulong-tulong po tayo para patuloy nating maprotektahan ang mga kasamahan nating mamahayag (Let’s all work together for the continuous protection of our friends in the journalism industry),” he added.
In a separate statement, the Iloilo chapter of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) sounded the alarm on the mauling of Hervias.
“The daylight attack against Hervias, right in front of the radio station, shows how assaults against Filipino media workers have become more brazen,” it said.
NUJP – Iloilo then pressed the PNP “to act on its assurance of protecting journalists and upholding the freedom of the press by swiftly and decisively apprehending the assailants and all others involved and filing the appropriate charges.”
The attack on Hervias comes days after the fatal ambush of veteran radio broadcaster Percival Mabasa, more popularly known as Percy Lapid, in Las Piñas City on Monday night.
READ: Radio commentator Percy Lapid shot dead in ambush
With Hervias’ case added to the tally, NUJP has so far documented 16 cases of attacks on Philippine media since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took helm of the country last June 30.
READ: Marcos Jr. vows to support, protect rights of media