Media groups condemned the police’s harassment of Bulatlat reporter and Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) alumnus Aaron Ernesto Cruz, who sustained bruises and reported having his bag stolen during a farmers’ protest camp outside the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) on Oct. 19.

In a video released by the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), Quezon City Police District (QCPD) officers were seen forcibly pulling Cruz away from protesters as a confrontation between demonstrators and police broke out. Cruz, who was covering the protest, identified himself as a member of the press and repeatedly showed his press ID, according to Bulatlat.

Police also used force against other media workers at the site. An Altermidya journalist was caught being pulled away while reporting on the dismantling of the encampment, while Far Eastern University (FEU) freshman communication student and Tudla correspondent Robie Matias suffered injuries amid the confrontation between the police and protesters.

Several media groups issued statements condemning the violence by state forces against peaceful protesters and what they described as attacks on journalists and progressive sectors.

In a Facebook post, Bulatlat condemned the violence against its reporter, saying Cruz identified himself as a member of the press and repeatedly showed his press ID while police officers pulled him away from protesters.

“Bulatlat calls on the Commission on Human Rights to conduct an investigation into the incident,” the organization said.

Danilo Arao, Bulatlat associate editor and journalism professor, also highlighted Cruz’s background as a former PUP journalism student who remained committed to his principles as a journalist, according to his Facebook post.

Arao called on students to stand up for Cruz’s rights as a media worker, valuing the role of young people in defending press freedom and holding authorities accountable.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) also released a statement demanding accountability from the QCPD, noting that the incident was not the first time police officers had used force against journalists and peaceful protesters.

The NUJP also stressed that the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Revised Media Relations Policy must acknowledge the media’s role in upholding the public’s right to information. It also cited an agreement involving the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) and the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) that prohibits violence against media workers and provides mechanisms for investigating complaints against police officers accused of violating the agreement.

“We also join media colleagues in calling on the Commission on Human Rights to launch investigations into this incident and help hold press freedom violators accountable. Police should stop harassing journalists,” the NUJP said.