By Alex P. Vidal
“The world for our law enforcement community has changed dramatically: everything from filling out paperwork to relationships with the community and how they think the narrative is in the media.”—Rahm Emanuel
ONE of the only few government officials who has maintained a good public relations with the press is Jeck Conlu, current chief of the Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) in Iloilo City.
Conlu has been in the news even before the May 13, 2019 Philippine general election because of his active role in ensuring the smooth flow of traffic in the local and national roads, and in preventing the mushrooming of illegal squatting and illegal structures in the metropolis.
Because he was always mentioned in the print, broadcast, TV, and Internet media, there were speculations Conlu would be running for city councilor in 2019.
To the relief of those who see him as a potential threat, Conlu did not seek any elective public office and remained in the PSTMO after the local election.
Because he chose to be apolitical during the campaign period, Conlu never earned the ire of feuding politicians and thus he earned the trust and confidence of Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Treñas.
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His position is supposed to be a “hot heat” or the hot bed of complaints from public transportation drivers, pedestrians, vendors, and other people affected by PSTMO’s task to put order in public.
But we have not heard of any Tom, Dick, and Harry from within his office sharpening their knives against Conlu’s management style; or drivers, pedestrians, and vendors protesting against the way he implemented the mandate of his office.
In other words, Conlu is the Real McCoy in as far as quality public service is concerned.
Why I am writing about this very unassuming city hall appointed official?
Conlu was the only public servant to remember and greet members of the Fourth Estate during the World Press Freedom Day on May 3.
In his Facebook account, he tagged 33 Facebook friends, including this writer, and greeted them: “My utmost praise and respect to our brave vanguards of free speech, truth and justice. I would like to personally thank our journalists, broadcasters, writers, reporters and all the people behind the camera, newspapers, and radio waves. Happy World Press Freedom Day! From Jeck Conlu and the Iloilo City PSTMO Family.”
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The 33 recipients of Conlu’s greeting may represent all the reporters and media workers who struggle everyday to keep our democracy alive and continue the torch of press freedom burning in the time of #COVID-19 pandemic.
World Press Freedom Day is the special day for all members of the working press. The day is very meaningful for those who belong in the Fourth Estate.
It was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO’s General Conference. Since then, the 3rd of May, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day.
The day also acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom; it’s also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics.
It is an opportunity to: celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; assess the state of press freedom throughout the world; defend the media from attacks on their independence; and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
For a low key public figure like Conlu to remember and greet a sector, considered as the public servants’ partner in the nation building, during the sector’s special occasion speaks of a positive prognostication in the relationship between the government officials and the adversarial press.
