PNP urges journalists: Reach out if you feel unsafe
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 4:12 p.m.) — In the wake of the killing of radioman Percival Mabasa, the Philippine National Police vowed Monday to protect journalists who come forward for fear of threats on their life related to their work.
Mabasa, better known as Percy Lapid, was shot dead on Monday at the gate of BF Resort Village in Talon Dos, Las Piñas. Police reported that he was driving along Aria St. on board his black Toyota Innova at around 8:30 p.m. when he was shot by two male suspects on board a motorcycle without a plate number.
At a press briefing Monday morning, Police Gen. Rodolfo Azurin, PNP chief, called on journalists to work closely with local police.
"We're asking media personnel that hopefully if you feel there are threats on your life, let's not wait for it to get to what happened to Percy. It would be better for you to inform us so we can provide you security if you have any suspects in mind so we can start investigating," he said in Filipino and English.
"If you feel that you need security, we will provide one for you."
This comes after Azurin directed the National Capital Region Police Office to hold dialogues with media personalities in its areas of responsibility to get a sense of the danger that reporters go through in the course of their work.
Despite the PNP chief's assurance of protection, the government has not always been receptive to reports of threats to journalists. In March, the Presidential Task Force on Media Security claimed that Baguio City journalist Aldwin Quitasol had mistaken a motorcycle exchaust backfire as gunshots. Although the police investigation into the incident was still ongoing, the task force advised the public: "HUWAG BASTA MANIWALA SA MGA MARITES! (Don't believe rumormongers)"
In June, Police Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. — then OIC of the PNP — insinuated that media arrested at a land cultivation, or bungkalan, activity in Concepcion, Tarlac were there to cause trouble. "Imagine, maybe even the media was just meddling there. In the first place, if you went there, you're already with those people," he said then.
Percy Lapid case
The NCRPO on Monday said in an advisory posted on its official channels that the reward in exchange for information about the person of interest in the killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid was increased to P6.5 million.
It also released the latest photo of a person of interest behind the killing.
Latest photograph of person of interest in murder of radio commentator Percy Lapid courtesy of NCRPO. | @manueltupas pic.twitter.com/0XkLLVSilN
— The Philippine Star (@PhilippineStar) October 10, 2022
Azurin said that the PNP is still in the process of gathering information and reviewing the available CCTV footage related to the case.
Mabasa's killing has drawn widespread outrage among government officials and has since yielded a House resolution urging Congress to condemn the killing.
Lapid hosted the radio show Lapid Fire in DWBL 1242 where he aired criticism on controversial policies of the government, including the bloody drug war under former president Rodrigo Duterte, alleged corruption, and historical distortion involving Martial Law under the late ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Sr.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists' 2021 World Impunity Index, the Philippines is the seventh in the list of countries worldwide where journalists are murdered and the perpetrators go free.
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