Noli cool to allowing journalists to carry guns

Vice President Noli de Castro said yesterday that the proposal of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to arm journalists as a result of the recent slays of media men is not the answer to the series of unsolved journalists’ murders.

He urged the police instead to improve their investigating capability to hasten the pace of the probe.

"It’s not necessary to arm journalists just to protect them. It’s the responsibility of the police to protect all citizens," De Castro said.

He explained that arming media men may even aggravate the country’s problem on loose firearms as legitimate firearms may find their way to the hands of unscrupulous individuals masquerading as journalists.

The PNP’s proposal came after the recent slays of dzRH and Bulgar reporter Arnel Manalo in Bauan, Batangas and Roger Mariano of dzJC station in Laoag City.

Manalo, who was ambushed by still unidentified gunmen barely a week after Mariano was killed, was the fourth journalist ambushed this year. Two other broadcasters were killed earlier - Rowell Endrinal of dzRC station, who was gunned down outside his house in Legazpi City last February, and Radyo Natin station manager Ely Binoya, who was killed in South Cotabato last June 17.

Records at the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility showed that 64 journalists were killed in the country since 1961. Of this number, 47 were killed after 1986. From the 17 cases before 1986, only two were solved.

The Vice President, a former broadcast journalist, reiterated his call to PNP chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. to be directly involved in solving the murder cases as a lasting gift to media men before he retires.

He urged Ebdane to capitalize on the promised reward of President Arroyo for the capture of killers to dispel doubts that the PNP is shirking from its responsibility.

Aside from De Castro, other government officials including Sen. Richard Gordon had also issued statements criticizing the PNP for its move to allow media personnel to carry firearms. Gordon said this would only allow anarchy to reign in the streets.

In response, the PNP yesterday backtracked on its proposal to arm journalists, apparently bowing to pressure from different sectors.

PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Joel Goltiao disowned his earlier statement quoting Ebdane that the police will ease up some rules on the issuance of permits to carry firearms outside of residence (PTCFOR).

"It is not our proposal," Goltiao said. "We never saw it as a solution to the killing and we are not passing the responsibility ... We still have to assess threats to journalists and they have to subject themselves to stringent measures before they are allowed to carry firearms."

He added that the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has formed Task Force: Newsmen to work on the speedy solution of the murder cases involving journalists.

Meanwhile, two national media associations composed mainly of Philippine provincial journalists are supporting the PNP’s move to arm journalists.

"We support the idea of PNP chief Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. to arm journalists as a strong deterrent to would-be assassins," a statement from the Federation of Provincial Press Clubs of the Philippines and the Publishers & Editors League of the Philippines said.

While the two organizations support Ebdane’s proposal, they also challenge him to solve the killings before he finally bows out from police service. "History will surely look kindly on him if he does it and succeeds," the statement said. — With Christina Mendez