PNP to deploy cops to protect media during May polls

THE PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) is set to deploy “specialized teams” of police officers to ensure the safety of media workers covering the upcoming midterm elections in May, an official of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) said.

“With this initiative we will deploy specialized teams trained to respond swiftly to any incidents involving media personnel. We also aim to strengthen partnerships between law enforcement and media organizations,” PTFoMS Executive Director Jose A. Torres, Jr. said in a media briefing on Tuesday.

The Media Vanguards initiative seeks to ensure the safety and security of media personnel ahead of and during the May 2025 midterm elections.

The program is composed of the PNP, Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Department of Justice, Commission on Elections, and Department of the Interior and Local Government.

The initiative was launched during the 2022 national elections, which appointed the PNP’s Public Information Officers as focal person for media across all provinces in the country.

Mr. Torres added that several workshops and seminars will also be conducted in the coming month to equip journalists with knowledge and resources to keep them safe.

“We believe that the Media Vanguard initiative will significantly contribute to a safer working environment for the media, reinforcing the democratic ideals of transparency and accountability in the Philippines,” he said.

The Philippine midterm elections on May 12, will determine 12 of the 24 seats in the Senate, along with positions in the House of Representatives and local government units. — Adrian H. Halili