Palace acts to protect journalists ahead of polls

The government has reactivated its Media Security Vanguards in preparation for the upcoming 2025 midterm elections.

It is an initiative set by the Presidential Task Force for Media Security (PTFoMS) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) as a proactive response to the urgent need for protective measures for journalists and media workers, ensuring they can continue carrying out their roles without fear of violence or intimidation.

“With the launch of the Media Vanguards initiative, we are taking significant strides toward ensuring the safety of our journalists, who play a crucial role in defending and promoting press freedom in the country,” PTFoMS executive director Undersecretary Jose Torres Jr. said in his remarks.

Other government agencies working in partnership with the PTFoMS and the PNP include the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Department of Justice, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Commission on Elections.

These agencies have expressed their support for the PTFoMS and their commitment to the welfare and security of journalists and media workers.

PCO Ad-Interim Secretary Jay Ruiz echoed government agencies’ support for the PTFoMS and emphasized its importance in ensuring security for journalists.

“You are all here to enhance the safety of our local media workers who constitute the fourth estate or the media. The role of the media is to ask questions, to clarify issues, and to give information and knowledge. Media people are the messengers of the news and bearers of opinion,” he said.

Ruiz noted the number of deaths of journalists in the line of duty and the recent record of zero deaths in 2024 under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.