A CAGAYAN de Oro City-based journalist who writes for Rappler was barred from covering the visit of President Rodrigo Duterte in the city on Monday, June 25.
Rappler correspondent Bobby Lagsa said he was prohibited from entering the venue where Duterte was to speak in front of hundreds of village officials based on an order from “higher up.”
Duterte was in Cagayan de Oro to lead the mass oath taking of some 2,000 village chiefs in Northern Mindanao.
"Personally, I feel that I need to cover the President, but expected na nga di ko maka cover kay naa man other Rappler correspondent nga gi ban sad (it’s expected that I will not be able to cover as the other Rappler correspondent was also banned)," Lagsa said.
Lagsa said the coverage ban of Rappler's Malacañang beat reporter Pia Ranada was expanded to all Rappler journalists across the country based on the palace's memorandum.
Lagsa said he asked the Philippine Information Agency (PIA)-Northern Mindanao to be accredited for the coverage but he was told around 8 a.m. on Monday that he cannot cover as per instructions by the higher ups.
Lagsa only learned on the same day that the coverage ban for Rappler reporters was expanded in the regional level.
"Sila nanawag (They called), informing me I cannot cover. Kay nag ask man ko (Since I asked for an) accreditation for coverage the other day pa. But they informed on the last minute nga (that) I cannot cover. Order daw sa taas (An order from the higher ups)," he said.
Officials of the PIA-Northern Mindanao refused to comment on the coverage ban.
"I feel disappointed. It is my duty to cover and inform the public. When you silence a messenger, you're cutting people's right to information, of which they can form their opinion. Dili dapat ana ang President (The President shouldn’t be like that)," Lagsa said.