TACLOBAN CITY—Reporters and broadcasters in Eastern Visayas are crying foul over alleged “discrimination” at the Philippine National Police (PNP) regional office preventing media practitioners from accessing information in violation of the Freedom of Information order signed this year.
The journalists were also accusing PNP Regional Director PC/Supt. Gilberto Cruz of wanting direct control of the PNP press corps when it nullified the election of the new set of officers and a newly ratified constitution and bylaws of the organization.
In a statement, the journalists said they “strongly condemn the discrimination” by the PNP against card-bearing journalists when it prevents them from “gathering or having access to data and information, doing interviews and entering the premises of the PNP RO8 without first being accredited.”
The group said this is a violation of Executive Order 2, also known as Freedom of Information Order (FOI) signed by President Duterte on July 23.
“FOI provides that every Filipino shall have access to information, official records, public records and documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions or decisions, as well as to government research data used as basis for policy development,” the group said.
“Aside from being bureaucratic and being selective in its accreditation process, requiring media practitioners to secure accreditation before given access to information and being allowed to do interviews on criminal records and matters affecting the PNP is contradictory to the essence of media freedom and the people’s right to know and be informed,” the group added.