Vloggers' followers, engagements may be basis for Malacañang accreditation, says incoming PCOO chief

Incoming Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said Thursday that the number of followers and engagements could be basis in allowing vloggers to cover the events of President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

In a radio interview, Cruz-Angeles said the existing policy in the accreditation of vloggers is being reviewed. She said they are checking whether vloggers could be allowed in press briefings and what will be the qualifications in covering Marcos' events.

"Right now, tinitingnan din po namin 'yung engagements, kasi engagements really means that people are responding to what you have written or shown, in the case of vloggers, at interesado o sila o nai-involve sila doon sa sinasabi," she said.

(Right now, we are looking at engagements because engagements really mean that people are responding to what you have written or shown, in the case of vloggers, and if they're interested or involved in what was said.)

“So ngayon, ang kino-consider namin both following and engagements kasi makaiba po 'yun. You can have following but few respond to your post," she added.

(At present, we are considering following and engagements because those are two different things.)

The incoming Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) chief will be pushing for the accreditation of vloggers to attend briefings in the Palace, a plan which did not prosper under the Aquino administration.

Cruz-Angeles also said the incoming PCOO favors opening up discourse and increasing efficiency for state-run broadcasting networks PTV-4 and IBC-13.

No one qualified

Deputy presidential spokesperson Kristian Ablan said it was up to the incoming Marcos administration to decide if it will improve the policy on accrediting vloggers to join the Malacañang news briefings.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, Ablan noted that in 2016 PCOO crafted a policy on accrediting vloggers to cover the President but no one qualified.

"Noong 2016 and 2017 nag-request na po sila na ma-accredit bilang maging miyembro ng Malacañang Press Corps at nagkaroon tayo ng pulong kasama sila. Naglabas po ng accreditation policy ang PCOO kaya lang walang nag-qualify, so walang tayong na-accredit na vlogger," Ablan said.

(In 2016 and 2017, they requested to be accredited as members of Malacanang Press Corps and we had a meeting with them. PCOO issued an accreditation policy but no one qualified, so we don't have an accredited vlogger.)

He furthered, "inaasahan natin under the leadership of Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles baka po na mas maganda ang kanilang ilabas na polisiya."

(We hope that the leadership of Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles will come up with a better policy.)—With a report from Mel Matthew Doctor/LDF, GMA News