President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s press secretary, lawyer Rose Beatrix “Trixie” Cruz-Angeles, said the new administration intends to maintain “good relationship” with the mainstream media and “regularly” address journalists.
It was a welcome pronouncement following his tense relationship with the media during the campaign. His camp has barred some journalists from covering his public caravan. He also missed debates hosted by the media and the Commission on Elections, a strategic move that political analysts called “a disservice to voters.”
In his inauguration speech, Marcos was silent on the recent attacks on press freedom, however.
Marcos also assumed the presidency in the wake of a string of attacks on press freedom as the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte was on its way out.
The Securities and Exchange Commission ordered the shut down online news group Rappler. The National Telecommunications Commission moved to restrict block-time agreements and mergers as broadcast firms TV5 Network and ABS-CBN Corp reportedly begin talks. The National Security Council ordered to block the websites of Bulatlat and Pinoy Weekly.
In a radio interview in January, Marcos Jr. said ABS-CBN should “fix their issues” first then leave it to Congress to study the franchise application. He was referring to the supposed tax and labor violations of the company, claims which the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Department of Labor and Employment has already said were untrue during the congressional hearings in 2020.
The labor department later contradicted itself and said they “found violations of laws and standards” but the company “took steps to correct these violations.”
His presidential bid also banked on support from bloggers, vloggers, and social media users to build up the family’s image and reputation.
A Rappler report showed that pro-Marcos vloggers formed a group and is already seeking accreditation with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The group, lobbying for access in Malacañang, is expected to be a counterpart to the press corps.
This preferential access to content creators over journalists is expected to continue as Malacañang reviews its policy on the accreditation of bloggers and vloggers, a priority of the Presidential Communications Operations Office under Cruz-Angeles, herself a vlogger who supported outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte then Marcos.
Marcos Jr.’s father and namesake clamped down mass media operations during martial law. This included the first shutdown of Lopez-owned broadcast firm ABS-CBN in 1972. END