Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 9) – The engagement on the content of vloggers is among the things being considered if they will be accredited to cover the activities of President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Incoming Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) chief Trixie Cruz-Angeles said they are currently evaluating the accreditation policy of those allowed to follow Marcos, once he assumes the presidency on June 30.
“The old policy requires a certain number of followers,” Cruz-Angeles told CNN Philippines’ News Night on Thursday. “If this should happen, we might be also looking at engagement of each of the vloggers. We need to know if people are responding to their posts, to the information they’re giving out, and the kind of discussion that are ongoing.”
Cruz-Angeles cited an existing policy that has yet to be implemented by the current PCOO leadership, which she said allows vloggers to cover presidential activities.
“If we’re going to accredit, who can be accredited and what is their participation? These are open for us to investigate and to study. But the timing is also something that we need to discuss and to decide on,” she noted as they are continuously evaluating the proposal to accredit vloggers.
The incoming PCOO chief did not discount the possibility that vloggers can be with the Malacanang Press Corps in interviewing Marcos and covering his future events, if her proposal gains fruition after finishing their thorough review on the accreditation policy.
The Malacanang Press Corps is the group of journalists from different news organizations in the country who are accredited to cover and report on presidential activities and briefings.
“Angkop ba para sa vloggers na mag-cover ng mga press briefings o dapat iniimbita lang sa particular events? Kapag lumalabas ba ang Presidente, pwede ba silang isama? ‘Yun ay dini-discuss pa natin at magiging bahagi ng bagong polisiya, if we should decide na ito na ang nararapat na oras na ma-include sila sa dissemination ng information ng PCOO,” said Cruz-Angeles.
[Translation: Is it proper for the vloggers to cover press briefings or should they be invited only to particular events? If the President goes somewhere, should they be allowed to cover? Those are the things that we are discussing to include in the new policy, if we should decide that this is the right time to include them in the dissemination of information of the PCOO.]
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines earlier expressed concern over Cruz-Angeles’ plan, noting that legitimate media workers have been “sidelined” by vloggers and influencers, especially during the coverage of the past elections.
