NUJP decries harassment of reporters by PSG
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) on Tuesday decried the harassment of Malacañang reporters by members of the Presidential Security Group.
It cited an ABS-CBN report claiming that the PSG prevented reporters from covering a protest outside Malacañang.
“While we understand the PSG’s task of securing the grounds of the presidential palace, we do not see how part of this responsibility includes confiscating camera footage taken by journalists,” NUJP said.
The news article said protesters calling for the resumption of peace talks between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front reached Gate 2 of the Malacañang compound, which is near the building that houses the press working area.
The PSG not only confiscated the banners carried by the protesters but also the video footage of the rally.
One reporter reportedly “engaged in a tug of war for his cellphone.”
NUJP said what the PSG did was a “clear overreach.”
It pointed out that the PSG, which is “supposed to be among the most elite of the country’s security forces, (does) not possess even the most basic appreciation” of what the media does and “of the limits that the law imposes on their authority.”
The group reminded the PSG that they have sworn to “protect and defend” the people, “not prevent the lawful exercise of their rights and liberties.”
“We call on the presidential task force on media safety to immediately look into this incident and ensure that disciplinary measures are implemented as needed and such an incident does not happen again,” NUJP said. CDG/rga
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