NPD chief rues media attacks in Camanava

Northern Police District (NPD) director Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil said yesterday said he was greatly saddened that another member of the media again figured in a shooting incident in Valenzuela City on Monday.

Tiktik reporter Roger Panizal, 52, of Artex Subdivision in Panghulo, Malabon, survived the attack of a neighborhood toughie, still at large, who shot him at close range.

Bataoil said that while he was thankful Panizal survived the attack, he lamented that it was the fourth incident involving media men covering the Camanava beat, which is his area of responsibility.

At 5:30 a.m. last Monday, Panizal was shot by suspect Jorge de Jesus of Malabon, with whom he had an altercation.

The NPD chief said his only consolation was that they were all solved in less than seven days, meaning suspects were arrested and appropriate charges filed in the court.

"Unfortunately, indeed, it’s the fourth under my watch. It can happen anywhere though. My consolation is that we get to solve them soon enough. And they are all not work related," said Bataoil, who ordered his men to solve the latest case within 72 hours.

He added that even prior to the incidents he has kept the policy of keeping an open line with media to prevent such incidents from happening.

"Even before these things happened, I have established a system of prevention by way of keeping an open line with media not only in Camanava, not only for news gathering, but also for police assistance, anywhere, anytime," Bataoil said.

The incidents that resulted in the death of three mediamen happened in the short span of only three months. Bataoil, whose last assignment was as PNP spokesman at PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, assumed office as NPD chief only in March this year.

Panizal, called "Ka Popoy" by media colleagues because of his striking resemblance to the late insurgent leader Filemon "Ka Popoy" Lagman, is now out of danger, having escaped with no more than slight wounds in both hands and in the right shoulder.

Bataoil also advised all members of the press "to cooperate with authorities in negating threats, be it work related or not, take care of your personal safety by way of being security conscious and stay away from trouble." He said this was a personal commitment.

"Your NPD will do its utmost best in addressing your security concerns and that’s a personal commitment, having been a PNP public information officer for more than three years," said Bataoil.

Immediately after the robbery-slay of TV cameraman Ralph Ruñez last July 28, Bataoil conducted a security management workshop for some 43 Camanava reporters at NPD headquarters.