PTFoMS Executive Director Jose Torres Jr. said task force personnel will be on the ground beginning Sunday to immediately respond to incidents involving members of the media.
Speaking at the Isyu Karon media forum at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on September 11, Torres said the teams will include legal officers, security personnel and representatives of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Under a 2024 agreement between PTFoMS and Comelec, threats, harassment, illegal detention and violence against journalists during the election period may be treated and prosecuted as election offenses under existing election laws.
The task force is also coordinating with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) to operate a 24/7 social media monitoring desk to track and respond to online harassment directed at journalists.
Torres said no specific threats against journalists covering the BARMM polls have been reported so far. However, he advised media workers assigned to high-risk areas to coordinate with local security authorities, travel in pairs and avoid joining political party convoys.
He also stressed that journalists can best protect themselves by maintaining ethical and non-partisan reporting, particularly during a highly sensitive election period.
Torres further called on political leaders and candidates to respect the role of the press, saying media scrutiny and free expression are essential to a functioning democracy.
The September 14 polls will mark BARMM's first regular parliamentary elections, paving the way for the transition from the interim Bangsamoro Transition Authority to an elected 80-member Parliament under the Bangsamoro Organic Law. GamitinAng Kalendaryo
Presidential Task Force on Media Security Executive Director Undersecretary Joe Torres
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