NAPOLCOM, PTFOMS join forces to protect media workers

The National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) and the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFOMS) have formalized a landmark partnership to promote and protect the rights, safety, and welfare of Filipino media workers through the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on Friday at the Jesse Robredo Hall, DILG-NAPOLCOM Center in Quezon City.

The agreement was signed by NAPOLCOM Vice Chairperson and Executive Officer Commissioner Rafael Vicente R. Calinisan and PTFOMS Executive Director and Undersecretary Jose A. Torres Jr., marking a historic collaboration between the two agencies in upholding press freedom and ensuring the protection of media practitioners nationwide.

In his message, Calinisan emphasized that the partnership underscores NAPOLCOM’s unwavering commitment to uphold freedom of the press as a vital pillar of democracy and good governance.

“The safety of our media workers is the safety of our democracy,” Calinisan said. “Through this partnership, NAPOLCOM stands with PTFOMS in ensuring that no journalist lives in fear for doing their duty of telling the truth,” he added.

He noted that as the agency with administrative control and operational supervision over the Philippine National Police (PNP), NAPOLCOM recognizes that the protection of media workers is an integral part of its mandate to protect the Filipino people.

“Safety and accountability must always go hand in hand. Law enforcement must serve not only with strength, but with conscience and compassion,” Calinisan added.

The MOA establishes mechanisms for case referral, investigation, monitoring, witness protection and psychosocial support, education and human rights promotion, policy development, and capacity-building activities. It also seeks to institutionalize close coordination between NAPOLCOM and PTFOMS in handling complaints involving violence, threats, or harassment against media workers to ensure that justice is pursued with both firmness and compassion.

“This is more than a ceremonial signing, it’s a commitment. Together with PTFOMS, we will make sure that every report of violence or threat against a media worker is taken seriously and acted upon swiftly,” Calinisan said.

In his message, Torres said that the MOA signing is a tangible step toward creating a safer, more supportive environment for media workers. He also underscored the deeper meaning of the partnership.

“This agreement is more than a document—it is a shared vow to protect the rights of media workers, uphold press freedom, and build a future where truth and transparency thrive. It reflects our collective resolve to ensure that every media practitioner can perform their duties safely and freely, without fear or obstruction,” Torres said.

As part of the collaboration, both agencies reaffirmed the salient features of the rule designed to safeguard media workers’ rights. These include ensuring that journalists are treated with the highest standards of courtesy and respect, prohibiting the use of force and red-tagging, and establishing a direct communication channel between the PNP and media for the timely and transparent dissemination of verified information.

The rule also obligates the police to protect, facilitate, and guarantee freedom of expression and press freedom, recognizing these as essential to a free and democratic society.

Under the agreement, both parties will develop joint training programs and learning modules on media workers’ rights, as well as information and education materials to be integrated into their respective training systems.

“When we protect press freedom, we protect democracy itself,” Calinisan stressed. “A free and safe press is not just the right of journalists, it is the right of every Filipino to know, to speak, and to be heard.”

The MOA also reinforces compliance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and Administrative Order No. 1, series of 2016, which created PTFOMS to ensure a safe environment for media workers.

Calinisan concluded his message with a call for unity and shared responsibility among government, law enforcement, and the media.

“We are partners in truth, justice, and nation-building. NAPOLCOM will continue to stand with our media workers, because protecting them is protecting the truth, and protecting the truth is protecting our people,” he said.