Adult netizens with 1K followers above can get Palace accreditation

The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) has released its social media policy draft, ahead of its consultation with stakeholders at the University of the Philippines (UP) on Thursday, as it moves to accredit bloggers to cover Malacañang events.

“The PCOO believes, alongside the global campaign organization Article 19 and other human rights groups, and consistent with Administrative Order No. 1 (s. 2016) creating the Presidential Task Force on Media Security, that social media publishers are media workers who should be recognized and protected,” the draft read.

The social media policy draft as of Tuesday stated that Filipinos of at least 18 years old or groups with a social media page, blog, or website that publish news or post opinions for the past 12 months can apply for accreditation.

Their social media profiles should also have at least 1,000 followers or subscribers. They are categorized as social media publishers.

The PCOO also requires these applicants to have published content that are “editorially independent of any institution, foundation, or interest group connected or affiliated in any manner with the government.”

However, the PCOO also said that “applicants must not be involved in prosecuting any claim against the government.”

Meanwhile, the PCOO is also open to accredit social media users or any Filipino citizen, 18 years old and above with “a social media account, which generates content expressing his/her or their opinions, viewpoints, commentaries, the sharing of news and information, and other similar or related communications activities.”

The draft also stated that applicants must observe the following:

• Strictly abide by Section VII-C, on the conduct of citizens using PCOO social media platforms
• Post, share, and disseminate on his/her or their social media page, blog or website, the press releases and other news information issued by the PCOO
• Validate the truthfulness of the news content that they generate, publish and share 

Section VII-C reads: "Social Media tools, unlike traditional media, such as newspaper, TV or radio, allow for instantaneous two-way public communication between the government and citizens. Citizens are able to participate by directly posting audio, video, and text content to many social media sites. Citizens, including social media publishers/users, using PCOO social media platforms, therefore, should be guided by common decency and proper online etiquette." 

Moreover, an accredited social media publisher will have “faster processing for on-site or access passes to PCOO events and activities, such as news briefings and interviews.” They will also be included in PCOO-Social Media Office mailing list for updates.

Meanwhile, social media users will be included in the PCOO participatory governance social media programs and all related trainings and other learning activities and in the PCOO social media volunteer programs that will work with the PCOO’s attached agencies and government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs).

PCOO-SMO will handle the accreditation. Once accepted, the bloggers’ accreditation will be valid for six months.

To further dissect the draft, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar and Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella are expected to attend the PCOO’s social media policy town hall in UP on Friday. — MDM, GMA News