MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Police (PNP) and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) officials are facing a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman for barring the media from covering the trial of the Maguindanao Massacre.
In a three-page complaint filed on Tuesday, the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists secretariat director Melinda Quintos de Jesus said PNP Chief Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac, Sr. Supt. Wilben Mayor, and Jail Senior Inspector Lloyd Gonzaga violated the freedom of the press as enshrined in the Constitution.
De Jesus said the media have not been allowed to cover the Ampatuan massacre trial at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221, located at the PNP’s Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City, since August 14.
In the complaint, De Jesus said police officials kept on changing their reasons for preventing media coverage.
Maguindanao provincial Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu looks at mug shots of suspects in the Maguindanao massacre. AP
Sindac supposedly ordered police officers to bar the media at the camp. The police also said the media did not have the appropriate stickers for the vehicles.
The national police’s Public Information Office, meanwhile, said the media were not allowed to cover because the courtroom was full.
The police also want to prevent camera crew from going inside the courtroom.
Current PNP information chief Mayor said they prevented media coverage because the BJMP has yet to issue any guidelines.
“The changing reasons for disallowing media coverage of a monumental case like the Ampatuan, Maguindanao massacre are just excuses to cover up a clear violation of the people’s rights to information and to a free press,” the complaint read.
“Sadly (and suspiciously), media coverage is disallowed by the orders of Police Chief Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac and Police Senior Supt. Wilben Mayor, and by the inaction of Jail Senior Inspector Lloyd Gonzaga just when the criminal proceedings reached the present stage,” it added.
The complaint even said that “even the Supreme Court has allowed media coverage of said massacre trial.”
The massacre that fixated international attention claimed the lives of 58 persons, including 32 journalists, allegedly at the hands of a private army upon the orders of the Ampatuan clan.
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