President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed former Philippine Information Agency (PIA) director general Jose Torres as the new executive director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS).
Torres replaced former PTFoMS executive director Paul Guiterrez whose term expired in September this year.
Torres was succeeded last month as PIA director general by Kath de Castro, the former Tourism Undersecretary and general manager of People’s Television Network Inc.
Mr. Marcos said that he has instructed Torres to intensify the task force operations to safeguard journalists in the lead-up to the 2025 midterm elections, with special emphasis on protecting local media.
President Marcos emphasized the importance of Torres’s role, citing the vulnerability of local media in areas with fiercely contested elections.
“The smaller the constituency being contested, the more heated and personal the debates become, and that’s where our journalists are most vulnerable,” Mr. Marcos said.
He has directed PTFoMS to ramp up security measures and strengthen ties with key media organizations, including the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), the National Press Club (NPC), and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP).
The task force is set to expand its operations to safeguard media freedom and ensure journalists can perform their duties without fear of reprisal.
