The Freeman defends report amid CCPO legal action threat

CEBU, Philippines — The Freeman is standing by its report showing the absence of police personnel at a major Cebu City school during the first day of classes on June 16, after the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) accused the paper of spreading “false and misleading claims” and threatened legal action.

In a statement issued Tuesday, June 17, The Freeman emphasized that the Facebook post in question, a photo showing no police presence at City Central School taken at 7:02 a.m., was based on firsthand reporting by its assigned reporter.

Based on the reporter's accounts supported by photos and time stamps, he was outside the school by 7:00 a.m., during the busy arrival of students and parents. The photo accompanying the post was taken at 7:02 a.m., at the start of the crowd buildup.

The reporters entered the school premises and spoke with several individuals, including a parent, a teacher, and a security guard—none of whom said they saw police personnel stationed outside at the time.

By 7:10 a.m., he exited the school and walked around the vicinity to look for officers to interview. He later returned to the school area and remained there until 8:03 a.m.

Despite this effort, no uniformed police officer was seen in the immediate area during the time he was on site.

"Our reporter did not make sweeping claims, but simply reported what he observed firsthand on the ground," stated The Freeman’s statement, which was posted on its Facebook page early last night.

While the timestamp was added to the post after publication, it reflects both the time the reporter was in the area and the time the photo was taken.

"There was no intention to malign the police or discredit their deployment efforts. As journalists, our role is to report what we see, ask questions when there are gaps, and bring attention to matters that may need clarification or improvement."

“We believe a more constructive response would have been to look into the report and verify facts, rather than resorting to legal threats. A healthy democracy benefits when institutions and the press work together in the spirit of transparency and accountability,” this paper notes.

“We at The Freeman remain committed to fair, accurate, and responsible journalism, and we are open to dialogue whenever concerns arise.”

“Inaccurate”

In a statement released Tuesday, June 17, CCPO disputed what it described as “false and misleading claims” of zero police visibility during the school opening at City Central School.

CCPO, led by Acting City Director Police Colonel Enrico Figueroa, called the report “inaccurate” and claimed it undermined the efforts of law enforcement officers deployed across the city.

The agency said nearly 900 police officers were dispatched to ensure the safety and security of students, teachers, and school personnel throughout Cebu City.

It said the deployment was part of a successfully implemented Oplan Ligtas-Balik Eskwela, which included both security and traffic-management plans in advance of the first day of classes.

“The baseless claims posted online disregard the efforts of our police officers who reported for duty as early as 5:00 a.m. to ensure a peaceful and orderly school opening,” Figueroa said in the statement.

CCPO said it is currently evaluating possible legal action against the reporter “for disseminating false information with the intent to malign the police force and erode public trust.” — (FREEMAN)