PALO, Leyte- Chief Supt. Gilberto Cruz, the police regional director, said that he has a good working relationship with the members of the media, contrary to some claims of discrimination against other members of the media in the region.
Cruz said that since he assumed his post, he has been open with the members of the media and he is not discriminating any media workers.
“There’s no conflict, maybe they (just) misinterpreted it. If there is a conflict between media and the PNP, you will not be here,” the police regional director said, referring to the media who were interviewing him.
The alleged discrimination issue stemmed from a recent directive from the PNP-8 headquarters seeking accreditation for members of the media before they could be allowed to have an interview with any police officials.
However, some media people claimed that this directive, issued by Supt. Felidolfo Enoviso who heads the Regional Police Community Relations of the PNP-8, is a form of media harassment.
Cruz said that this media accreditation should not be interpreted as a media suppression saying it is just part of their internal protocol as mandated under their manuals issued in 2012.
Incidentally, despite this claim by certain media workers, they still manage to interview Cruz and other police officials in the region.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
