'Journalists facing threats should break pattern of movements'

MANILA, Philippines - Journalists facing threats to their lives should lessen their degree of “exposure predictability” and vary the pattern of their movements, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has advised.

Chief Superintendent Arturo Cacdac, head of the PNP’s Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management and concurrent head of “Task Force Usig,” said a victim’s movement and exposure predictability were common factors in most reported cases of slain journalists over the past nine years.

“Victim movement and exposure predictability provides a simple operational reason why a victim’s residence or a point near his residence is the best choice as site of an attack,” Cacdac said.

He said “predictability has become the greatest enemy of journalists under threat and the best ally of assassins.”

Task Force Usig, the police unit tasked to probe cases of attacks on journalists, has noted that with a few exceptions, attacks have occurred at or just a short distance from the victim’s residence.

The exceptions occurred at or near the victim’s place of employment or along routes consistently used by the victim at about the same time of day.

“As a regular routine, the victim comes home, and he has to leave his residence each morning to go to work. It is at this point where a potential target is most vulnerable. To a much lesser extent, the time of a potential victim’s arrival at home is also predictable,” Cacdac said.

Cacdac added that the level of predictability of a potential target also determines how easily he or she can be identified as a target for assassination, kidnapping or harassment.

These observations by police security experts have been prominently noted in the Handbook on Personal Security Measures for Media Practitioners published by the PNP as part of continuing efforts to provide protection to journalists who face threats due to the nature of their profession.

The Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management has published an initial 2,000 copies of the 48-page handbook for circulation to the Police Regional Offices and local media clubs in the regions.

Among other topics on personal security, the handbook examines, on one hand, how an attacker uses predictability as a consideration in selecting a target, and on the other hand, the measures that a potential target can take to enhance his personal security.

Cacdac personally gave out copies of the handbooks to members of Camp Crame-based reporters during yesterday’s flag raising ceremony.

He clarified that the PNP is not advocating for journalists to carry firearms since the media practitioner will still be in the better position to know what is good for him or her.

The PNP earlier admitted that the police could not secure members of the media all the time, thus police authorities decided to publish a handbook for journalists to prevent media killings.

Bacalzo said studies suggest that some of the deaths could have been prevented if a few basic precautions had been followed.

President Aquino has ordered the PNP to immediately resolve the killings of journalists, including the death of Jose Daguio, a retired Kalinga broadcaster; Miguel Belen, a part-time radio reporter; and Edilberto Cruz, publisher-editor of local newspaper Salida.

Task Force Usig said the three cases were not all work-related, but territorial police are conducting thorough investigation on the cases.

“The intention is to provide media practitioners with the basic knowledge and practical skills in securing themselves and their family, determining possible threats and improving communications among all concerned, including local PNP units,” Bacalzo said

Since 2001, Task Force Usig has recorded 39 work-related fatal attacks against media personalities, and has solved 85 percent of these cases. — Cecile Suerte Felipe