The Philippine National Police (PNP) has clarified that there is no directive given to cops on the ground to require members of the media to seek permission first when reporting in public places.
Police Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, PNP spokesperson, made the clarification on Thursday night in response to a now viral Facebook post from DZBB radio reporter Mark Gene Makalalad who was confronted by four policemen after his live report.
Makalalad, in his post, said he had just finished doing a live traffic report on Marcos Highway in Marikina City on Thursday when the cops asked for his identification card.
The cops told him to seek permission from authorities first when doing a live report in a public place, which Makalalad claimed seemed to be an unheard of policy in the PNP.
At the height of the confrontation, one of the cops allegedly told Makalalad, “(B)aka kasi sir kalaban ka,” according to the radio reporter.
Makalalad did not provide the identities of the four policemen but he said the incident “ended peacefully.”
“We’ll seek clarification from Marikina Police why our cops acted the way they acted. But definitely, we have no policy that requires media to ask prior permission from PNP to do live report in public places,” Banac said.
“The PNP treats media as ally and partner in maintenance of peace and order and will always uphold the freedom of the press,” he added.
Makalalad’s encounter with the policemen was the latest incident involving authorities who seemed to interfere with media work. (Martin A. Sadongdong)
