Trump, 5 other leaders to shun media coverage of arrival for ASEAN Summit

The arrival of US President Donald Trump and five other world leaders attending the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders' Summit and Related Meetings will not be open for media coverage, organizers said Saturday.

The five other leaders are Brunei Darussalam Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in, European Council President Donald Tusk and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Malacañang’s Media Accreditation and Relations Office (MARO) – which handles all media accreditation to cover the ASEAN events – said prohibiting media coverage of the said leaders’ arrivals was their respective countries’ decisions.

A radio dzBB report by Nimfa Ravelo said security was among the considerations taken when the respective countries decided against having the arrival of their leaders covered by the media.

So far, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi have arrived in the country for the summit that will begin on Monday and will be held in Manila and Pampanga. —MDM, GMA News