Big Media Holding Someone From Malacanang In The Neck To Stop Independent Social Media Publishers??

The PTFoMS or the Presidential Task Force on Media Security issued an official statement last June 22, 2017. The statement was raising concerns about the security of a reporter that is currently deployed in Marawi to cover the ongoing crisis. The reporter is Jes Aznar.

In the statement, it was "parroted" that the so-called advocacy of the mainstream media against the spread of "fake news". The mainstream media particularly the NUJP or the national Union of Journalists of the Philippines.

“To debunk rumors and fake news, the Philippine National Police, a member of the Task Force, has not served a warrant of arrest to Aznar.”

The statement apparently triggered the owner of Thinking Pinoy blog, RJ Nieto. He claims that the statement made by the PTFoMS used his June 20 article as a reference, albeit making it seem that his blog is the one being alleged as spreading "fake news."

“The PTFoMS essentially allowed itself to be used by Big Media to forward its desperate agenda of de-legitimizing independent social media publishers like me, at a time when Big Media companies continue to lose influence as their social media engagement figures continue to dwindle,”

The major point of the Blog owner is not the issue above, but the fact that it is uncharacteristic for official statements to be unsigned and publicly shown.

To reinforce his claim, he cited a particular provision on President Duterte's Administrative Order No. 1, which Section 5 reads:

“Section 5. The Presidential Task Force Spokesperson. The Secretary of the PCOO alone shall be authorized to make public statements on matters concerning the activities of the Presidential Task Force.”

 That means PCOO Secretary Andanar is the only one who has the authority to issue public statements. The issue was further set ablaze when Andadnar himself denied that he has knowledge about the issue.

“For the record… I was not aware about Usec. Egco’s press release… (and) …. There was no one from PCOO during the deliberation of Egco et. Al,”

 ThinkingPinoy then asked his followers,

"Should we intrust media security to someone who does not have a clear understanding of what his executive Director position entails, of what he can and cannot do?"

What do you think? Did the false statement come from someone who has been paid?