Head of Presidential Media Security Task Force Leaves Post

MANILA, Philippines — The executive director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) who was previously linked to an $11 billion pesos “shabu” shipment that escaped the attention of the Bureau of Customs in 2018 has resigned from his position.

Paul Gutierrez’s departure comes after Presidential Liaison Secretary Cesar Chavez confirmed on Wednesday the authenticity of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin’s letter dated September 12, in which he announced the expiration of the PTFoMS official’s term.

The letter, addressed to Justice Minister Jesus Crispin Remulla, stated that the termination of Gutierrez’s mandate “will take effect immediately.”

READ: Paul Gutierrez Denies Former BOC Official’s Accusations: ‘He’s a Hardened Liar’

No replacement

Chavez said the Palace has not yet appointed a new executive director of PTFoMS.

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“I don’t want to speculate on the reason or reasons for my termination,” Gutierrez said in a text message to the Inquirer when asked if his departure was related to allegations made against him by fired Customs Intelligence Agent Jimmy Guban.

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In a statement sent to Palace reporters, Gutierrez thanked President Marcos for “the opportunity to serve under his administration, even for a short period of one year and 14 weeks.” He was appointed on May 25, 2023.

Gutierrez added that Marcos’ decision to keep the task force in place was “the clearest signal yet that he is committed to creating a safe media environment where every member of the press can practice their profession responsibly, professionally and without fear.”PTFoMS was created in October 2016 by then-President Rodrigo Duterte to protect the lives, liberty and safety of media workers.

A month ago, Guban claimed Gutierrez warned him not to touch Duterte’s son, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, Vice President Sara Duterte’s husband Mansa Carpio, and former economic adviser to the president Michael Yang over the 2018 shabu smuggling controversy.

Gutierrez has previously denied all of Guban’s accusations and said he does not personally know or have met any of the Duterte, Carpio and Yang family members.

He admitted, however, that he visited Guban in the Senate when he was still a reporter for the tabloid, saying that he simply wanted to see for himself whether the former customs agent was really sick.

Gutierrez told the Inquirer that he received two invitations to a House committee hearing on Philippine offshore gambling operators and links to Chinese syndicates and illegal activities, but those invitations were ultimately rescinded.

He had earlier expressed his readiness to present his arguments before the commission, claiming that all of Guban’s claims were lies and “falsehoods”.