According to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), police officers opened fire on three television reporters while they were conducting an interview in a village in Pastrana, Leyte.
The incident, which occurred on Friday, was captured on video and shared by the NUJP on Saturday.
The NUJP identified the reporters as Lito Bagunas, Noel Sianosa, and Ted Tomas, all affiliated with San Juanico TV.
They were interviewing farmers at Barangay Jones around 9:30 a.m. when Staff Sergeant Rhea Mae Baleos, a police officer, intervened.
The NUJP alleged that Baleos forcibly took Sianosa’s cellphone, who was recording videos at the time, and forcefully pushed him away.
A few moments later, the journalists heard gunshots. Tomas claimed to have witnessed uniformed police officers firing the shots.
In response, Tomas, in the Filipino language, pleaded with the officers not to shoot, reminding them that they were members of the media.
The farmers, who were the subject of the interview, stated that the reporters were covering a story related to the beneficiaries of a land reform program.
(ai/mnm)
