The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) has hosted professor Peter Greste, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) chairman in Journalism and Communication of the University of Queensland, Australia; Committee to Protect Journalists Asia program coordinator Dr. Steven Butler; and CPJ Board chairman Kathleen Carroll at its headquarters.
Undersecretary Jose Joel Sy Egco, PTFoMS executive director, started the presentation with a brief introduction of the Task Force through an audio-visual presentation.
He then highlighted some of the breakthroughs and milestones the TF had accomplished in less than three years of existence.
In its 2018 Global Impunity Index, the CPJ noted that while the Philippines remained at its previous ranking of No. 5, it was considered to have significantly improved its status in terms of protecting journalists, the Task Force said in a statement.
The Reporters Without Borders also delisted the Philippines from the top 5 Most Dangerous Countries in the World for Journalists in December 2018.
Abraham Agamata, PTFoMS Secretariat chief of staff, briefed the dignitaries with the latest on the Maguindanao massacre, with Egco reiterating his promise to resign if the perpetrators of this heinous crime would not be convicted, the Task Force added in its statement.
Police Lt. Col. Eder Collantes, PTFoMS chief investigator, gave a rundown on the latest updates on media violence cases during the present administration.
These luminaries in global journalism, accompanied by Rowena Paraan, program director of ABS-CBN’s “Bayan Mo, I-Patrol Mo,” were pleased with what they heard and saw during the presentation, the Task Force said in its statement.