Pagdilao assures media protection vs killings, threats
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan – Chief Supt. Samuel Pagdilao, Jr. said the Philippine National Police (PNP) has taken the initiatives on how the local police could be able to protect the journalists, especially from harm or attempts to kill them.
The Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 recently initiated a region wide dialogue to solicit the assistance of journalists to carry out measures in response to the pronouncements of President Benigno Simeon ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III for more protection of the media and the activists’ groups.
“Ang isang napag-usapan ay dapat magkaroon tayo ng open communication. If you think you’re under threat, imminent or clear present or something that is suspicious, ipagbigay alam natin ito sa mga pulis for us to make the necessary actions rather than not knowing anything about any threat of the journalists,” Pagdilao stressed.
The regional police director said the PRO-6 will also conduct media relations seminar for police commandeers and the local media to promote better understanding, tackling subjects on how to spot surveillance and countersurveillance.
“Pag may nangyaring insidente, parang nakokonsyensiya kami, we could have done better than just doing the usual crime prevention that we do. What we are doing is that if you have a threat, tell us para may kaalaman tayo ng mayroong ganoong pangamba sa ating mga kasamahan sa media. We could do something by validating the information if there are real threats to you,” Pagdilao said.