TACLOBAN CITY – National Security Adviser Sec. Clarita Carlos issued an appeal to the members of the media to help disseminate the accomplishments of the government on its campaign against insurgency through the implementation of the Regional Task Force 8 – End Local Communist Armed Conflict(RTF-ELCAC).
Carlos said that the achievements of the RTF-ELCAC in fighting the insurgency in the region should be known considering that the government has implemented projects in villages hit by insurgency problem.
“I know bad news really sells but I think good news sells also. Kasi kung hindi brinodcast akala nila wala tayong ginagawa. But they have to be broadcast because they are there in the ground,” Carlos said in a press conference on October 26.
“You don’t need to be friendly to us because I want media to be the fourth state. You don’t need to be friendly, you need to critique when there is a need for such,” she added.
Carlos was in the region to meet with security officials of the region and assess the implementation of the projects and programs under the RTF-ELCAC.
She was presented with the ongoing projects and upcoming projects in villages of the region that received budget from the Barangay Development Fund (BDF), a component of the ELCAC.
Around 200 villages in the region are recipients of the BDF, most of these villages are in Northern Samar and Samar provinces.
Local media who attended the press conference responded positively to Carlos’ appeal but told her that they can only do so if the concerned officials will provide needed data and will allowed themselves to be interviewed.
The members of the media told Carlos that some security officials decline to be interviewed.
Hearing this information, Carlos urged agencies to be open in sharing information regarding ELCAC to the local media. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
