PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will create a presidential task force on media killings, a Palace official said Sunday after a radio journalist and his 12-year-old son survived an ambush in Surigao.
“We condemn this ambush on a journalist in Surigao,” said Secretary Martin Andanar, chief of the Presidential Communications Office [PCO], referring to Saturnino Estaño Jr. of the RMN Network, who took three gunshots to the back. His son sustained four gunshot wounds and is in critical condition.
Andanar said the attack was in response to Estaño’s radio attacks on drug syndicates.
He added that Duterte would issue an executive order soon to create the task force, as well as another order on freedom of information.
“We are still fine-tuning this executive order, and we [hope we] will be able to announce it this week or next,” Andanar said.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said the ambush on Estaño was carried out by two motorcycle-riding gunmen Thursday afternoon, who opened fire while the journalist was moving things from the trunk of his car to his house.
Estaño drove to a hospital to seek treatment for himself and his son.
Reports said Estaño had been running commentaries against illicit drugs and gambling on his radio show.
He also alleged the existence of corruption in some government agencies.
“Whatever the perpetrators of this crime think that they’ll achieve by an attempt to murder a journalist, like Estaño, they have already failed. We assure you we stand by the side of good men,” Andanar said in a statement. “Justice will be served.”
A reelected lawmaker from Cebu said Sunday he will refile a bill that specifies a venue for criminal and civil libel cases against community journalists, publications or broadcast stations.
Rep. Raul V. del Mar said the measure, which failed to win approval in the last Congress, would prevent complainants from harassing community journalists by filing cases far from their base of operation.
Under the measure, the criminal or civil action in cases of libel against a community journalist, publication or broadcast station must be filed in the regional trial court of the province or city where the principal office or place of business of the community journalist, publication or broadcast station is located. With PNA