NUJP condemns QCPD violence against Bulatlat reporter

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) condemned the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) personnel’s use of violence against Bulatlat Reporter Ernest Cruz during a protest led by farmer groups at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Central Office on Monday.

According to NUJP Media Safety Office, Cruz was among other media workers who covered the protest.

“In a video from the College Editors Guild of the Philippines, Cruz can be heard shouting “Taga-Media ako” while showing his ID to police personnel. Yet, during the incident, police were still using force in an attempt to restrain Cruz,” the NUJP said in its statement.

NUJP also noted that a campus journalist from Far Eastern University (FEU) and Tudla correspondent, Robie Matias, was injured after he was caught in the middle of a standoff between protesters and police.

“In a comment on a video of the incident posted by Matanglawin Ateneo, Matias said that police officers deliberately stepped on him,” it stated.

NUJP stressed that this is not the first time the Philippine National Police (PNP) has resorted to violence in dealing with members of the media.

The NUJP cited several cases of police violence against media workers, including the issuance of a subpoena by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on 21 September 2025 to a Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) student journalist over allegations linking the student to organizations involved in violent incidents during a protest.

It also cited an incident on 22 July 2026, when police attempted to arrest photojournalists Bullit Marquez and Rene Dilan while they were covering a protest in Pasay City.

“How many more journalists must be harassed or hurt before the police are held accountable?”, the NUJP pointed out.

The union of journalists also reiterated that under the October 2025 agreement between the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) and the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS), the use of force against media workers is explicitly prohibited, and mechanisms are in place to investigate complaints against police personnel.

“We also remind the PNP and the NAPOLCOM of their commitments under the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, which calls on states and relevant institutions to protect journalists and ensure that they can work freely and safely,” it stated.

“We demand that these safeguards be applied in Cruz’s case, that the officers involved be held accountable, and that the PNP ensure journalists can cover protests without fear of violence or obstruction,” the NUJP added.