HK reporters lose APEC media credentials for being 'rude' to PNoy

(Updated 5:10 p.m.) Reporters representing three Hong Kong media outfits had their media credentials for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Bali, Indonesia confiscated Sunday for shouting questions at President Benigno Aquino III.

A report by Hong Kong's The Standard on Monday said the Hong Kong reporters, representing  Radio Television Hong Kong; Now TV; and Commercial Radio, yelled questions at Aquino regarding the 2010 hostage crisis in Manila in which eight Hong Kong nationals died.

Aquino, who had arrived in Bali shortly before noon Sunday, was walking into one of the conference rooms when the Hong Kong reporters started yelling questioning at him. "Sir, will you meet CY Leung?," they asked. "Why don't you respond to the Hong Kong officials?" and, "Will you apologize? Please answer the question!"

Aquino ignored the questions.

Shortly after the "shouting" incident, APEC staff confiscated the Hong Kong reporters' credentials, and barred them from the conference.

"Don't you have any decency? Don't you know it's rude to shout? You have no decency. Now get out!" reportedly said a female APEC staff member to one of the Hong Kong reporters.

Another staffer said, "You have embarrassed one of our visitors."

The RTHK expressed regret over the incident and is following up the matter with Hong Kong's Information Services Department. Now TV also expressed regret and is also seeking to retrieve its reporter's press credentials.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Journalists Association defended the reporters, saying they sometimes have to shout out their questions because they are at a distance from the person they want to interview.

It added that reporters have a "bounden duty" to ask questions. "Confiscating press credentials is rude," said the HKJA.