The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on Tuesday to ensure the safety and respect for the rights of the members of the press covering the elections.
Chairman George Erwin Garcia and PTFoMS executive director Usec. Paul Gutierrez, signed the agreement at the Comelec office in Intramuros, Manila.
“This MOA is part of the continuing effort by the Marcos government to create a safe media environment for members of the press all over the country, especially during elections,” Gutierrez said.
The agreement seeks to provide media practitioners with a safe and protected space, free from any unnecessary interference to perform their duty of reporting truthful elections and related news.
It recognizes the important role of the press in responsibly informing the public about the elections, interpreting the news, without suppressing essential facts nor distorting the truth by omission or improper emphasis.
Garcia acknowledged that working with the media is crucial in achieving the poll body’s mandate of conducting clean, credible, free, honest, and orderly elections.
The MOA would take effect this October, the start of the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) and would last until the end of the election period, or until June 11, 2025.
