Palace press officer Claire Castro — Photo from Presidential Communications Office
MANILA, Philippines — Palace press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro denied insinuations made by vloggers that she was the one who lobbied for the removal of a journalist from covering President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and events in Malacañang.
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) earlier asked the news chief of NET 25 TV network to replace its Malacañang beat reporter Eden Santos with another journalist for reportedly breaching protocols in covering the president.
“Why will I lobby for a reporter to be removed [from covering the Malacañang?]” Castro told reporters on Monday. “And I am not the one who decides that. I am not the [PCO] secretary, nor do I supervise the MARO (Malacañang Media Accreditation and Relations Office).”
“So if you’re connecting me with this issue, sorry, you’re wrong. Fake news,” she said.
She also disproved allegations made by vloggers, especially those who align themselves with the Diehard Duterte Supporters (DDS), that she had “personal issues” with Santos.
According to Castro, Santos and other members of the Malacañang Press Corps (MPC) were just doing their jobs every time they asked her difficult questions during briefings.
“I have no issues with her. All of you are reporters here. You have the right to ask questions. That’s your job,” she said.
Castro and Santos’ banter inside the press briefing room have been a favorite topic among netizens, with supporters of each camp claiming that one had beaten another in verbal tussle.
NET25 is owned and operated by Eagle Broadcasting Corp., one of the media companies under the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) religious group. From its apparent neutral stance, the INC, however, showed support to Vice President Sara Duterte in opposing the impeachment trial against her.
It also criticized the Marcos government for allowing the detainment of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in The Netherlands due to a warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court.
In a June 27 letter, Erelson Cabatbat, PCO assistant secretary for media affairs and relations, wrote to NET25 news chief Paul Padua requesting that a new reporter be assigned to cover the Malacañang beat.
According to the PCO official, Santos allegedly violated protocols when she approached President Marcos directly “not once but twice,” even if there was already an assigned place for media during a June 25 event in Capas, Tarlac.
Other reporters who were seen and recorded conducting an “ambush” interview with the president would also be admonished.
“Strict courtesy and decorum dictate that when covering the President, a certain distance should be observed at all times. Sadly, this is not the first time that Santos has violated this rule,” the letter said.
However, a live recording of the event showed that it was Marcos who approached Santos and the other journalists.
In response, the MPC firmly opposed the PCO’s decision, saying the government office’s request was an “overreach” of its authority.
“While the officers recognize the need to ensure the President’s safety and well-being, it should never be at the expense of the freedom of the press to tell stories that go beyond photo opportunities, press releases and rehearsed sound bites,” it said in a statement.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines backed the MPC, saying the PCO should understand why reporters covering the Malacañang need to resort to ambush interviews.
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“In any case, it would be more productive for the PCO to arrange regular press briefings or conversations with the President instead of trying to replace reporters whose questions and actions it may disagree with,” the NUJP said in a separate statement. /apl
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