Concerns over press freedom and possible de facto martial law have been raised after the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) reportedly banned Malacañang Press Corps (MPC) president Chona Yu from covering events in the Presidential Palace without proper grounds.
The MPC is an organization of local journalists accredited by the government to report on presidential and Malacañang activities. Sources familiar with the incident said that Yu, a former People’s Journal reporter assigned to Malacañang, resigned from the newspaper and transferred to DZME radio station—both PCO-accredited media outfits.
Despite submitting a new letter of assignment from DZME, the PCO allegedly placed her application “under review,” effectively barring her from covering Palace events until further notice.
Traditionally, MPC members switching between accredited media outlets face no issues as long as Malacañang recognizes their new employer.
This marks the second time since President Marcos Jr. took office in 2022 that PCO arbitrarily denied the journalist’s assignment renewal without clear justification.
In August 2022, then-PCO Secretary Trixie Angeles rejected Hataw reporter Rose Novenario’s accreditation, citing “conduct unbecoming” without providing evidence.
Media groups, unions, and cause-oriented groups condemned the move, but the PCO never addressed the controversy.
Critics accuse the PCO of hypocrisy, claiming it fights “fake news” while spreading misinformation.
A source cited two retracted press releases: one falsely announcing US-based Amkor Technology’s relocation to the Philippines and another wrongly stating Marcos Jr.’s push for Tonga, Bhutan, and Nepal to sign the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
Most notably, PCO Secretary Jay Ruiz falsely declared during a House probe that “we lost Sabah” despite the Philippines’ ongoing territorial claim. Ruiz also never corrected his statement.
MPC officials are seeking clarification from the PCO and have requested a meeting with Ruiz, but no schedule has been set. Meanwhile, Yu, a nine-year Malacañang reporter, remains sidelined without explanation.
The repeated denial of journalist accreditations and the PCO’s history of misinformation have fueled fears of increasing media suppression under the current administration. (TCSP)
