Palace hails SC for allowing live coverage of Ampatuan massacre verdict

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang lauded Tuesday the decision of the Supreme Court to allow live media coverage of the court verdict on the decade-old Ampatuan massacre case.

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The high court has allowed state-run PTV to set up cameras inside the courtroom while other media outfits will be allowed to hook up with the PTV for the live feed.

In a statement, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said: “This integrated arrangement will ensure that everyone receives real-time and accurate information as the much-awaited verdict on the infamous event is made.”

“As the judgment on this case is of paramount interest to the public and to the media as well, a complete, secure, and truthful coverage of the court decision is imperative,” Andanar said.

As an attached agency to the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), he added that “PTV will exert its utmost effort in this live coverage, to be shared to the private media, as part of its dedication to inform the citizenry and serve the interests of our nation, especially on the issue of media killings and security.”

Quezon City Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes has set the promulgation of the case at 9 a.m. on Dec. 19 in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

The Ampatuan massacre, which killed 58 people — 32 journalists of them journalists — has been dubbed as the single deadliest attack on journalists in the world.

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