Te had barred live television and radio coverage of the news briefing he gave last Tuesday after crews proceeded to lay down cables in preparation for their coverage of the media briefing.
In explanations posted on Facebook and given directly to media during interview. Te said he has always said “no” to requests from television news crews to bring in cables for live coverage. He however claimed that he has “never meant” those no’s “because I’ve always allowed live coverage.”
Te said he would have changed his mind and allowed cables in if only the news crews have asked him to “reconsider” his decision.
“But I was not asked to change my mind because despite my initial “no” I was told that cables were brought in anyway into the SC premises… they just went ahead and disregarded what I had said and set it up,” he said.
Before Tuesday’s briefing, Te revealed that he had turned down requests from television news crews to bring in cable that would be used to air the briefing live.
“I did say no simply because in my estimation the stories that would come out wouldn’t be that newsworthy. Perhaps that may have been an unwise presumption on my part that I was worthy of appreciating the newsworthiness of the stories that would be reported,” he said.
Among the announcements made by Te during Tuesday’s media briefing were about the SC’s actions on petitions on the Disbursement Acceleration Program, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, Panfilo Lacson’s appointment as rehabilitation czar.
Also part of the briefing was an update on a controversial new Bureau of Internal Revenue policy for professionals, as well as updates on the high court’s probe on alleged influence-peddling in the Court of Appeals and the SC.
It was also the first time the Supreme Court en banc resumed its sessions since taking more than a month of decision-writing break.
Te however stressed that his action should not be misconstrued as an attempt to stifle the media.
“Did it constitute intent to violate press freedom and prevent transparency? I think that is a stretch considering that it is one incident in almost two years,” said Te, who officially appointed to the SC PIO leadership in January 2013.
Te emphasized that he has a track record of extending legal services for journalists on press freedom cases. Prior to his stint at the SC, Te worked for the Free Legal Assistance Group. He also teaches law at the University of the Philippines.
“What I understand however of my functions as PIO chief is that part of it may require regulating the Court’s messaging requirements which include how a press con is to be conducted within the Court’s premises as far as facilities are concerned,” he said.
“This would include whether the news networks could use the Court’s facilities and could enter the Court to perform certain acts,” he added.
Both the Justice and Court Reporters Association (JUCRA) and the Justice Reporters Organization (JUROR) have both condemned the barring of Tuesday’s press conference.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/364155/news/nation/journalists-up-in-arms-vs-sc-pio-policy-on-live-coverage
‘Speed bump’
“Yesterday was an unfortunate speed bump on a relatively smooth journey between myself as a new PIO chief and the JUROR and JUCRA, two venerable institutions in the Justice Beat,” Te said.
He said he has already sought a dialogue with the reporters covering the Supreme Court.
“With the support of the Banc, the workings of the SC have never been as transparent under this PIO,” said Te.
He enumerated the SC PIO’s efforts to make the high tribunal and its decisions more accessible to the public, including livestreaming and livetweeting oral arguments. He also said resolutions and decisions are both e-mailed to reporters and uploaded on the SC website as soon as they are available.
Financial documents are accessible on the website including bid notices and information related to or relevant to financial uprightness, Te said.
Te said accusations of being non-transparent or setting back transparency were “unfair to the (PIO) team, to the Court and to the large majority of the people who choose hope over cynicism, faith over skepticism and who choose to build rather than tear down.” — ELR, GMA News
