July 20 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has once again denounced new harassment and attacks against media workers in the Philippines, after three local television reporters were harassed by two police officers and shot by an unknown third party.
The IFJ has issued a statement in which it shows its support for the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and condemns the attack on these three journalists and urges the authorities to continue to investigate what happened with transparency.
The case occurred on July 14 in the province of Leyte, one of the islands of the Visayas archipelago, when three reporters from San Juanico TV were harassed by two off-duty police officers and allegedly shot by an unknown person while covering a land dispute. in which the agents were involved.
Lito Bagunas, Noel Sianosa and Ted Tomas were interviewing farmers from the Pastrana municipality while preparing a report on a land dispute between Philippine National Police Sergeant Rhea Mae Baleos and a local couple from this town.
According to the journalists, they were detained by a woman who identified herself as Baleos, who ordered them to leave the place. According to this version, she confiscated Sianosa’s phone after recording footage of a police discussion with another reporter.
The union has been able to disseminate other images that were recorded by another device in which Baleos is seen attacking Sianosa, just before at least three shots were heard. Tomas, another of the reporters, affirms that he saw uniformed police officers shooting. He urged a cease fire and identified himself as press.
According to the police version, Baleos requested the intervention of more troops, but denied that the agents who went to the place fired shots, blaming “an unidentified assailant” for it.
CONSEQUENCES
Following the journalists’ complaint, Baleos and her husband, First Sergeant Ver Baleos, were relieved of their duties one day after what happened, on July 15. They have handed in their firearms, and a provincial investigation team has begun to look into the incident, details the IFJ.
“We welcome the news that the two police officers allegedly involved in the harassment have been relieved and will be investigated,” said the Philippine journalists’ union, which, however, reproaches the institution for describing the matter as “disinformation”. of the shooting.
“While we welcome the swift action by the authorities, this incident reminds us that we must uphold press freedom and review security protocols to keep us safe on the ground,” he stressed.
For its part, the IFJ has denounced that this alleged episode “is deeply worrying” and has insisted that “journalists working in the field must be protected”, at the same time that they must be guaranteed to be able to work without fear of reprisals.
