MANILA — The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFOMS) condemned the violence that erupted during anti-corruption demonstrations in Manila, where several individuals, including a broadcast journalist, were injured.

DZBB reporter Manny Vargas was struck by a projectile while covering the clashes live, as protesters and police forces faced off along Ayala Bridge. Rallyists wearing ski masks and balaclavas hurled rocks and bottles, burned tires and a police motorcycle, prompting a dispersal operation near Malacañan Palace.

“This incident highlights the urgent need to protect journalists, whose work is essential in ensuring the public’s right to accurate and timely information,” PTFOMS Executive Director Jose Torres Jr. said in a statement.

Torres expressed support for the National Press Club of the Philippines, which earlier stressed that any attack on media workers—whether deliberate or accidental—undermines press freedom.

“PTFOMS emphasizes the importance of strengthening safety protocols to better protect journalists. Their safety is non-negotiable and critical for ensuring a free, fair and transparent flow of information,” Torres added.

Established in 2016, PTFOMS is mandated to protect media workers and address threats and violence against journalists.