THE Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) on Saturday sought an investigation into the supposed harassment of three local television crew members by police officers in Pastrana town, Leyte province. PTFoMs executive director Paul Gutierrez said a viral video on social media showed a police officer from Pastrana Police Office, identified as Staff Sgt. Rhea Mae Baleos, “attacking” the crew members of local television San Juanico TV. The victims were identified as Noel Tampil Sianosa Jr., Ted Allen Tomas, and Lito Bagunas. Gutierrez said Baleos even sought the help of other police officers during her confrontation with the victims who went to Barangay Jones in Pastrana town on Friday to interview a couple who were beneficiaries of the government’s land reform program. ‘It turned out, however, that the land had been pawned by someone else to Baleos and her husband who, according to Tomas, is also a member of the PNP (Philippine National Police). Tomas said the husband, whom he failed to identify, even pointed his M-16 at them,’ Gutierrez said, based on the victims’ narration. ‘A video of the incident now going viral showed Baleos attacking Sianosa. A few minutes later, several shots were heard in the background coming from still unknown direction that are clearly aimed at further intimidating the three members of the press,’ Gutierrez added. Gutierrez urged the PNP in Eastern Visayas to ‘immediately investigate, and if warranted, impose disciplinary action’ on Baleos and other cops from Pastrana Police Office involved. ‘The actions made by elements of the Pastrana Municipal Police Office in confronting members of the press who are merely doing their job of conducting an interview is totally uncalled for, unnecessary and amounted to abuse of authority and power,’ he said. In a statement posted on Facebook on Saturday, Pastrana police acting chief Maj. Darwin Dalde acknowledged receiving a report of a commotion but denied the shots came from their agents’ firearms. ‘Responding police personnel alighted from the patrol car to pacify the said commotion, however, while approaching, two successive gun bursts from a distance was heard. Accordingly, said personnel spread out in tactical position and heard another two successive gun bursts. The assailant was armed with a long firearm approximately 300 meters away from the police officer. The assailant managed to flee was chased by the responding police officer but unfortunately, eluded the arrest,’ Dalde stated. He said their initial investigation showed the commotion rooted from a land dispute but there is no truth that PNP personnel from his station fired their firearms. ‘Said shooting incident is just a disinformation,’ Dalde said. He assured they are exerting ‘doubled efforts in the identification and subsequently, the apprehension of the assailant as investigation and manhunt operation is now going on.’ Gutierrez said the PTFoMS had already reached out to the victims. He also thanked his colleagues from the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines for alerting the public about the incident. ‘Rest assured that the PTFoMS shall continue to monitor this incident. May I also remind our law enforcers that the Marcos administration and the PNP leadership would not tolerate any abuse committed against any of our citizen, particularly the members of the press,’ Gutierrez said
Source: Philippines News Agency