IAS tells PNP: Don’t deny media access to blotter, reports

THE Internal Affairs Service (IAS) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) reminded policemen and their officers not to deny media’s access to the police blotter.

In a talk with Pinoy Exposé thru the radio program, ‘Meet the Press On Air’ last week, IAS deputy inspector general, P/BGen. Gerry Galvan said media’s access to police blotter should not be denied “because it is a public document.”

Galvan stressed this point after being told that members of the press now often times are denied access to the police blotter  and even ‘spot reports’ pending approval by the local chief of police.

The police blotter is a record of all daily incidents and activities of a police station and greatly aids the media in verifying incidents and confirming their information.

But members of the press, especially those in the provincial beat, would often complain that police desk officers would not even allow them to have a peek of the blotter or have a copy of an incident spot report claiming it is the “instruction” of their police chiefs.

In most instances, the desk officer would deny the request in a menacing voice.

With the advent of modern technology, police officials would also often times bumped off the request for police blotter by the media, claiming it would be “best” if reporters just wait for the press release or a “summary of incidents” selectively prepared by the police station.