MAY 2022 // NEWS
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Incoming President Marcos Jr., camp hold “selective” press conference LANCE CRISOSTOMO
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day after his proclamation, proclaimed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s camp conducted what can be called an “exclusive and selective” press conference in order to give light to the unanswered questions of the people regarding their administration's “vague” platform. According to a report by Rappler last May 26, media outlets were informed that the Marcos HQ would be closed that day, only to find out that a press conference was being conducted with three media outlets when it was announced in Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s official Facebook page. The three media outlets present in the three-on-one closed-door press conference were GMA News, SMNI, and Net25; two of which (SMNI and Net25) had owners who endorsed Marcos Jr.’s presidential bid. Reporters from the three media outlets talked about Marcos Jr.’s plans and the problems that the administration will be facing such as electricity prices, the rice price drop that Marcos Jr. promised, and the trillion-peso debt of the nation. To recall, Marcos Jr. and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio were proclaimed as the next president and vice president of the Philippines respectively last May 25 at the Batasang Pambansa with both the Senate and House of Representatives present. Marcos Jr. won with over 31,629,783 votes, about 16 mil lion more than Vice President Leni
Robredo who landed second; Duterte-Carpio, on the other hand, got about 32,208,417 votes, about 22 million more than Kiko Pangilinan who landed second. The incoming president and vice president are set to start their term of office on June 30 after they take their oath; however, Duterte-Carpio hinted at a plan of having her oath earlier in order to attend Marcos Jr.’s oath ceremony on the 30th. “Selective” policy would thrive - Marcos Jr.’s camp
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Marcos Jr.’s camp promises that selectiveness on media won’t be observed under the administration, Marcos Jr.’s spokesperson said. In an interview, Incoming executive secretary Vic Rodriguez said that the press conference was a “commitment” to the three media outlets who wanted to conduct one-on-one interviews with Marcos Jr. himself after winning the elections. Rodriguez added that although this “press conference” was only opened to three media outlets, the incoming president’s camp stated that “selective policy” on press briefings and conferences shall not be observed once Marcos Jr. sits in power. “It is not the policy of the incoming Marcos administration to exclude you, our dear friends from the media,” Rodriguez emphasized. NUJP, 7 others urge Marcos Jr. to protect media freedom
With the conduct of the “exclusive and selective” press conference, eight media stakeholders released a joint statement that challenges the next administration to protect media freedom in order to provide “credible information” for the general public. The eight media groups included: Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) I Center for Independent Journalism (CIJ); The Movement of Independent Media / Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm); Freedom Film Network (FFN); National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP); Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association (CamboJA); and, Association of Journalists of Timor Leste (AJTL). The statement highlighted that Philippine Media was also restricted during the time of late-president Marcos and has continued to struggle even in the term of the current President Rodrigo Duterte. “Philippine media was restricted and regulated during the reign of dictator Ferdinand Marcos; Although restored by the 1986 ouster of Marcos, media freedom has deteriorated and the Philippines leadership of Rodrigo Duterte has seen increased attacks on journalists and independent media,” the stakeholders emphasized.
To recall, Reporters Without Borders revealed that the Philippines ranked 147 out of 180 in the 2022 World Press Freedom Index - the third-lowest nation in all of Southeast Asia. [R]
