THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) signed a landmark Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on September 8 to strengthen security measures for media workers covering anti-illegal drug operations.
The agreement was formally executed at the PDEA National Headquarters in Quezon City by PDEA Director General Undersecretary Isagani R. Nerez and PTFoMS Executive Director Undersecretary Jose A. Torres Jr., alongside key officials from both agencies.
Under Section 21 of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, media representatives are statutorily required to serve as insulating witnesses during the physical inventory of confiscated illegal drugs and paraphernalia.
While this mandates transparency and public accountability in drug enforcement, it frequently exposes journalists to safety threats and retaliation from criminal syndicates implicated in drug-related cases.
To address these hazards, the MOA establishes an operational framework between PDEA and PTFoMS focused on rapid information sharing, protective assistance, resource support, capacity building, and joint threat monitoring.
The initiative aims to safeguard media personnel while enabling them to fulfill their reporting duties without fear or undue risk.
“Media security and press freedom are not competing objectives; they complement each other,” Undersecretary Torres emphasized during the ceremony.
“When journalists are threatened or intimidated, it is not only the individual who suffers—the public also loses its right to information. This agreement must become a working mechanism that translates into faster coordination, better protection, and more effective responses to threats,” Torres added.
Echoing this commitment, Undersecretary Nerez highlighted the essential role of media workers in ensuring integrity during drug enforcement.
“Our media workers should be able to perform their duties without fear or undue risk,” Nerez noted, affirming the agency’s dedication to supporting journalists on the front lines.
The inter-agency partnership reinforces the government’s commitment to upholding press freedom, protecting democratic institutions, and safeguarding the public’s right to information in anti-narcotics operations nationwide.
