Bato: No background checks being conducted on media practitioners

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Monday said they are not conducting any background check on members of the media.

He said any such action is “irregular and bordering to illegal.”

“Kapag meron kayong problema (If you have any problems), you feel something is going wrong pertaining to your security as media, please tell us right away para maaksiyunan natin (so that we can take action),” Dela Rosa said at a press conference.

He added that the police has a lot on its plate now with the problems on terrorism, criminality and even the whereabouts of National Democratic Front (NDF) consultants Benito and Wilma Tiamzon.

“Hirap na nga kami sa problema sa terrorism, NPA, mga kriminal; problemahin pa namin itong media? Bakit naman namin tututukan ang media hindi naman tayo magkalaban,” Dela Rosa said.

(We have difficulty with the problems of terrorism, NPA, criminals; why would concern ourselves with media? Why would we focus on media when we’re not even enemies.) /je