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FOCAP ‘deeply disturbed’ by Roque’s response to BBC journalist
Members of a group of foreign media outlets on Wednesday expressed alarm over the manner presidential spokesperson Harry Roque responded to a question raised by a journalist from the BBC, saying it was not the first time he treated journalists with disrespect.
1/6 The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) is deeply disturbed about the way Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque responded to a question raised by Virma Rivera, a video journalist and producer for the BBC.
— FOCAP (@FOCAP2020) July 14, 2021
This was after Roque dared BBC journalist Virma Rivera to call him to discuss the latter's report on fisherfolk said to be prevented by Chinese ships from catching fish in Scarborough Shoal.
According to the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP), Rivera simply asked for a comment on the Palace statement that Filipino fishermen lied when they said they have no access to the inner lagoon of the shoal.
“The tone of Sec. Roque dismissing the BBC report as deception and rumor were disparaging and condescending, as he sought to assign ill motive to the network's report and singled out Ms. Rivera for it,” FOCAP said in a series of tweets.
FOCAP said the incident was not the first time that Roque “treated journalists, women in particular, with disrespect.”
In May 2020, Roque refused to publicly apologize to CNN Philippines correspondent Triciah Terada whom he scolded over an article that she did not write, saying that he had already reached out to the reporter.
In February 2021, GMA reporter Joseph Morong requested for Roque to not “cut off” the audio of reporters who were asking questions. Roque later blamed the loss of audio on the telecoms.
“Secretary Roque has the right to counter allegations but there is no justification for insinuating Ms. Rivera and her team, which includes BBC correspondent Howard Johnson, are out to destroy the government,” it said.
“FOCAP members Ms. Rivera, Mr. Johnson, and the rest of the BBC were merely doing their jobs. They reported what they saw, and presented the story they were told,” it added.—Joahna Lei Casilao/LDF, GMA News
