FOCAP ‘deeply alarmed’ by restricted access to press briefings at ASEAN Summit in Singapore

A group of journalists working for foreign media outlets on Friday expressed alarm over the restricted access to press briefings given by Philippine officials attending the 32nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Singapore.

The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) issued the statement hours after some of its members, who are properly accredited by Malacañang, were stopped from covering a news conference by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III.

The group also said FOCAP members were blocked from a news conference on Thursday given by Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano.

They were subsequently allowed access, but were prevented from fielding questions to Cayetano.

“The FOCAP is deeply alarmed by the Philippine government’s strong actions that clearly violate constitutional provisions on freedom of information,” it said.

“These incidents are not isolated. We note the earlier restrictions on press movements during coverage of the war in the southern city of Marawi and those who reported on the closure of the island resort of Boracay.”

The organization recalled that Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Assistant Secretary Queenie Rodulfo in November 2017 agreed to allow Filipinos working for foreign news agencies “unfettered access to the President’s media events as well as other international press events.”

FOCAP also took exception to the draft media rules of the House of Representatives threatening to revoke the accreditation of those whose reports “besmirch the reputation” of the body, saying such rules “give a wide latitude for interpretation and can be used to clamp down on the critical press.”

“Government must clarify and spell out clear guidelines on media coverage so as to avoid similar incidents in the future,” the group said.

Sought for comment, PCOO Undersecretary for Media Relations Mia Reyes said that FOCAP members were allowed to cover Cayetano’s press briefing.

She added it was the call of the foreign secretary to entertain domestic issues only.

As to the incident involving Bello’s press conference, Reyes said the event was exclusive to members of the Philippine media delegation.

“We gave respect since they were the ones who asked for the briefing,” she said in a message to Palace reporters.

Cayetano and Bello addressed during their respective briefings the diplomatic row with Kuwait following the expulsion of the Philippine ambassador there over the controversal rescue of distressed Filipino workers in the Gulf state. — RSJ, GMA News