By Marjelle Sy and Pauline Faye Tria PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS Secretary Martin Andanar told the press on Thursday that all clarificatory questions on presidential pronouncements will now be directed to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) to avoid misinterpretation. Andanar said it is only then that the PCO shall decide who among the members of the Cabinet can comprehensively explain a presidential pronouncement that needs clarification. “Please go to us, the Presidential Communications Office, and we will be the ones to direct you to a Cabinet member who can comprehensively explain, kung ano po ang sinabi ng ating Pangulo, kung malabo po para sa ating lahat, to avoid confusion,” Andanar told the media.
Andanar told reporters at the New Executive Building in Malacanang that Duterte had agreed to this kind of system. "I appealed to the Cabinet secretaries to follow the standard operating procedure which was agreed upon right from day one, July 1 of 2016—that it is only indeed Secretary [Ernesto] Abella who can speak on behalf of the President," Andanar added. Andanar, however, stressed the office of the presidential spokesperson is still under the PCO and that he had been in discussion with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Special Assistant to the President Christopher Go for the past three weeks. The move was done after Duterte’s communications team drew heavy criticism for conflicting statements, one recently from Senator Panfilo Lacson who warned Duterte and his team on Wednesday of risking the country’s credibility over its contradicting statements. Andanar said during the press briefing he welcomed the Senator’s wisdom and had brought up the issue of having too many spokespersons to the President on Wednesday night during the 6th Cabinet meeting. The media can ask questions and give a head’s up in their Viber group or to him personally to avoid duplicating questions, Andanar also clarified. Only then shall Presidential Spokesperson Abella and Andanar compose the clarification that they need. Andanar added that he respects the rights of the media to give out different interpretations and vet on information for accuracy beforehand, given that the process of clarifying the President’s statements made by the palace takes time. “We don’t want to speculate if the media got it or didn’t get it, you have your own ways of writing your own stories, and I understand you all want an accurate report. It is your right, and we have press freedom,” Andanar said. Breach of constitutional right Union of Journalists of the Philippines-UST Chairperson Tiffany Tolones, however, told the Echo Today the order was a breach of a constitutional right, Article 3 Sec. 4 or the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press. “I think that Mr. Andanar knows this deeply as he was a journalist before. With this order, perhaps the government is trying to avoid the ordeal of ‘clarifying’ what the president said every time. Although, on our part, this is a blatant disrespect on our profession and our right,” said Tolones in a text message. Although initially appalled about the order from Mr. Andanar, Tolones understands where they are coming from. “We have a president with poor communication skills that every time the media reports about his statements (which would be eventually contrasted later), we are accused of misquoting or misleading the public on what the president said,” Tolones said. Tolones said if this order were to take effect, it could lead to censorship because the media won’t be able to ask the president to clarify his statements, and the PCO can therefore choose what questions would be answered and could fabricate the answer for the president. “I think, this order should not take effect, since media has the right to probe the president given its mandate to be watchdogs of the country,” she said. E
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