Ex-SAF men enforce Crame security after media ‘violations’

Camp Crame in Quezon City. AFP FILE PHOTO

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has enforced stringent measures on media vehicles entering the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City after some television networks took footage of the “White House” and other areas inside the police camp.

Police manning the gates suddenly required members of the media to present a clearance or permit from the PNP Public Information Office (PIO) before they could enter the camp.

The PNP also deployed additional forces at the entry points of Camp Crame, with majority of them coming from the elite police unit Special Action Force (SAF).

One of the police guards told INQUIRER.net that at least 60 SAF commandos from different battalions in the country have been reassigned to the PNP’s Headquarters Support Service (HSS), which supervises the PNP Base Police inside the camp.

In a statement to the PNP press corps, PNP spokesperson Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos cited several incidents that triggered the stricter security at Crame.

Carlos said there were members of a TV network crew who took footage of the White House, the official residence of the PNP chief, and some base security postings inside the police camp. He said security personnel reprimanded the crew members when they failed to present a permit from the PIO.

He also cited several incidents when the media violated camp security policies. When an OB (outside broadcast) van of a TV network entered the camp without clearance from the police and when TV crew members went to the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) without coordination with the PIO.

“These incidents triggered the stricter implementation of the camp policies,” Carlos said.

“At the end of the day, we are all entering a police camp managed and secured by the HSS Base Police so let us abide to the established camp policy, rules and regulations,” he said. IDL

RELATED STORIES

LOOK: PNP chief’s ‘White House’ shown to media

Security guards to man Crame gate