Media should be a ‘vital platform’ for meaningful discourse 鈥� Palace
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin — HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Palace has stressed the media’s important role in fostering transparency and accountability in government.
Speaking at the inauguration of the new headquarters of The Philippine Star in Parañaque City last Tuesday, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said journalists should not only help keep the public informed and engaged but also foster transparency and accountability in government.
“In today’s complex political and social landscape, [the] media should offer itself as [a] vital platform for meaningful discourse and a deeper understanding of the issues that help shape the consciousness of all Filipinos involved in the great task of nation-building,” he added.
Last November 14, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) to ramp up efforts in ensuring the safety of media practitioners during the upcoming 2025 midterm elections.
He tasked the PTFoMS to focus its efforts on the members of the local media, who are vulnerable to threats against life, liberty, and security.
Article continues after this advertisement“It is also an action from our experience that the smaller the constituency that is being fought over by different political candidates, the more heated that debate becomes. It becomes personal at that level. And that is where we have to protect our people and our journalists,” he said.
