A murder complaint has been filed against a suspect in connection with the killing of Newsline Philippines reporter Orlando “Dondon” Dinoy last Oct. 30, 2021, the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) said on Tuesday.Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco, PTFoMS… Read More
DIGOS CITY – Media outlets on Sunday expressed grief over the brutal death of reporter and radio anchor Orlando “Dondon” Dinoy in Davao del Sur.Dinoy succumbed to gunshot wounds to the head and body inside his rented apartment along Mother Ignacia St., Poblacion Uno, Bansalan town… Read More
MANILA – The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) is in close coordination with the police to attain justice for journalist Orlando “Dondon” Dinoy, who was gunned down inside his rented apartment in Davao del Sur on Saturday night.Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco, PTFoMS… Read More
October 13, 2021, 5:56 pm
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has lauded the Presidential Task Force on Media Security’s (PTFoMS) efforts in protecting the media workers’ welfare by upholding press freedom in the country. In his message for the 5th founding anniversary of the PTFoMs, Duterte expressed hope… Read More
MANILA – The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) is in high gear as it celebrated Monday its 5th year anniversary as the forefront agency of the government in defending press freedom by protecting the life, liberty and security of media workers in the Philippines.As one of… Read More
By ROGERM. BALANZA
Blocktiming is the practice of buying “blocks” of air time to produce programs independent of networks and stations.
Egco has ordered Philippine National Police (PNP) investigators to thoroughly look into the case to find out if the incident was in connection with his blocktime program.
The PNP is one of the law enforcement agencies that comprise the PTFoMS.
Records of media killings in the Philippines show that most of the victims were blocktime radio broadcasters identified with political persons or groups.
The PTFoMS has already requested legislators to look into the practice by radio stations of selling time slots to the blocktime broadcasters, most of whom are not accredited by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters ng Pilipinas (KBP), which police media ethics violations by broadcasters.
SY EGCO TO BARMM: ENSURE SAFETY OF MEDIA WORKERS
The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) called for the creation of a regional counterpart in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to ensure the safety of media workers and prevent another Maguindanao massacre from happening again.
“I urge the Bangsamoro Region to create a counterpart Task Force of PTFoMS. The mechanism being implemented by the PTFoMS has been acknowledged by international organizations as an effective deterrent against media violence,” PTFoMS Executive Director Usec. Joel Sy Egco said.
Sy Egco made this call during the oath-taking ceremony of the members and officials of the Bangsamoro Press Corps (BPC) held at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex, BARMM Government Compound, Cotabato City recently.
He said “a BARMM Task Force on Media Security could be the only solution in preventing a repetition of the gruesome Maguindanao massacre that happened in 2009,” referring to the incident in Ampatuan town that left 58 people dead, including 32 journalists.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) recognition of the Philippines’ significant progress in protecting journalists is a “validation” of the Duterte administration’s efforts to uphold press freedom in the country, the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) said on Sunday.
Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary and PTFoMS co-chair Martin Andanar issued the remark after the UNESCO’s 2020 Director-General Report on the Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity showed that “significant progress was made” by the country in the case of the 2009 Maguindanao Massacre, pointing out that on December 19, 2019, the court convicted 43 individuals, including the masterminds behind the attack. Read More
The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) has announced the recent arrest of Richard Posas Bolastig, one of the suspected gunmen in the murder of journalist Dennis Denora, with the active involvement of the Davao del Norte Police Provincial Office.
In a report submitted to Malacañang by Lt. Col. Verna Cabuhat, acting chief of police of Panabo City Police Station, police operatives were able to serve a court-issued warrant of arrest against Bolastig on Feb. 22 for the murder of Denora as earlier directed by the Task Force.
Bolastig is now detained at the Tagum City Jail awaiting trial.
“This is proof of the government’s unwavering commitment to bring to justice all perpetrators of media killings in the country. I commend the men and women of the PNP for capturing this most wanted criminal. We will not rest until all those responsible for the murder of Dennis Denora are brought to justice,” PTFoMS co-chairman and Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar said in a news release on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco, executive director of PTFoMS, said the arrest of Bolastig is a validation of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s unbroken promise to end the plague of violence against media workers by bringing perpetrators behind bars.
“We assure our media workers that the so-called culture of impunity in the Philippines has finally ended with the creation of the Task Force by President Duterte. PTFoMS is living proof of the government’s pledge to safeguard press freedom,” Egco said.
Denora, the publisher of Trends and Times, a community paper based in Davao del Norte, was killed by two gunmen in an ambush in Panabo City last June 7, 2018, one of whom was said to be Bolastig.
Earlier, a murder charge has been filed against Bolastig and another unidentified cohort in 2019 for the killing of Denora under Criminal Case no. 425-2019. The case is pending at Branch 4 of the Regional Trial Court of Panabo City presided by Judge Carmel Gil Grado.
The only one in existence in the world, PTFoMS was created by Duterte in 2016 with a dedicated mandate to resolve all media killings in the country.
Egco earlier declared that in just four years, the country has achieved another world’s first by so far resolving 50 cases of media killings with the conviction of accused Leonardo Banaag Jr. for the murder of broadcaster Jovelito Agustin.
This brings to 67 the total number of suspects that were found guilty by the courts for the killing of journalists, with sentences ranging from reclusion temporal to life imprisonment. (PR)
December 20, 2020
The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) called on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to heed the cries for justice of the victims’ real families and colleagues by classifying the case as resolved.
The PTFoMS made the statement… Read More
THE DURIAN POST 