Journo briefly barred from entering Malacañang

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Rappler reporter Pia Ranada was prevented from entering the New Executive Building (NEB) in Malacañang on Tuesday morning.

“PSG’s Marc Anthony Cempron tells me there were instructions from ‘up there’ to bar me, specifically, from entering Malacañang,” said Ranada, who was stopped from entering the NEB Gate around 10:35 a.m. by members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG).

The Rappler journalist was held at the gate for at least 10 minutes before finally allowed to pass through after clarification of the “order.”

“PSG says they clarified order. I can enter the press working area in NEB but not Malacañang Palace itself,” Ranada said.

NEB houses the press office in Malacañang where the Malacañang Press Corps (MPC) works.

Ranada is a member of the MPC.

Members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) bars Rappler reporter Pia Ranada from entering the New Executive Building (NEB) in Malacañang where the press office for the Malacañang Press Corps is located. NESTOR CORRALES/INQUIRER.net

In a Palace briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) clarified that Rappler could cover Malacañang pending its appeal with the Court of Appeals (CA) on the revocation of its license to operate.

“I have to clarify that the Executive Secretary just issued a verbal statement, that pending appeal, you will be able to cover here in Malacañang. And having said that, the worst case scenario even if you’re barred, is you can cover the press briefings because we’re televised live,” Roque said.

But if the appeal of Rappler before the CA would be denied, Roque said the online news organization could join the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) or its reporter could seek accreditation with the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) as a blogger.

“If it is sustained, then you will have to move to FOCAP, which is the media group for foreign correspondents. Because the decision of the SEC is that, you are foreign control. But while the appeal is pending, you’re welcome to cover Malacañang – unless of course, there’s disorderly behavior,” he said.

“Again, a second alternative is for them to seek accreditation from Mocha Uson, but I don’t think they would want that,” he added. Uson is a PCOO Assistant Secretary in charge of the social media.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has ordered the revocation of Rappler’s license to operate.

In a 29-page decision dated January 11, the SEC ruled that Rappler, Inc. and its controlling shareholder Rappler Holdings Corp. were “liable for violating the constitutional and statutory Foreign Equity Restrictions in Mass Media enforceable through rules and laws within the mandate of the Commission.”            /kga

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