PNP activates tracker teams vs journalists' killers
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 03/13/2009 3:01 PM
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The Philippine National Police (PNP) said Friday it is forming tracker teams to hunt down 27 people involved in journalists killings.
PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa said the tracker teams from the police's Task Force Usig, which was formed to solve the killings of journalists and activists, will be activated pursuant to President Arroyo's order to hasten the arrest of wanted suspects.
Mrs. Arroyo told the PNP recently to come up with a reward system for the capture of most wanted persons around the country.
Verzosa said that based on Task Force Usig's data, there have been 31 cases of journalist killings since 2001.
The task force has filed 26 cases against 64 suspects, Verzosa said. Of the 64 suspects, the task force said 17 have been arrested, 10 surrendered, four have been convicted, three were killed in clashes, and 27 are at-large.
Director Raul Bacalzo, Task Force Usig commander, said among the suspects involved in the killing of journalists were a communist rebel, two from the military, four policemen, two former town mayors and 17 civilians.
Security training
Chief Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome, PNP spokesman, said the police organization has been coordinating with different media organizations to identify journalists who are under threat due to the nature of their profession.
Bartolome said the PNP is also planning to hold security trainings for journalists who are under threat.
He said organization is also willing to provide threatened journalists with security depending on the result of the PNP's risk assessment.
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