WATCH: Police fire shots, harass journalists covering land dispute in Leyte

MANILA, Philippines – Three journalists were harassed by police while they were interviewing farmers for a land dispute story in Barangay Jones, Pastrana, Leyte, on Friday morning, July 14. 

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said in an alert on Saturday, July 15, that a plainclothes cop, identified as Staff Sargeant Rhea Mae Baleos, confronted Lito Bagunas, Noel Sianosa, and Ted Tomas of San Juanico TV (SJTV) and ordered them to leave. 

Video taken during the incident showed Baleos grabbing and shoving Sianosa as she tried to force them to leave the area. The cop also allegedly tried to grab Sianosa’s mobile phone that he had used to record his interviews with the farmers.

Gunshots were then heard being fired in the vicinity. 

“‘Wag kayong magpapaputok! Mga media kami (Don’t shoot! We’re from the media)!” Tomas shouted as gunshots were being fired.

One of the journalists said in a media interview that he saw policemen in uniform firing the shots. – Rappler.com