By Deighton Acuin

PHOTO: JAM STA ROSA, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE 

If Bongbong Marcos will be proclaimed as the 17th Philippine president, his team may consider accrediting vloggers to work as members of the Malacañang Press Corps (MPC) depending on the setup.

"If that's the setup now, I don't see any reason bakit natin kailangan baguhin,” Atty. Vic Rodriguez said in a briefing with reporters when asked if the incoming Marcos administration will do so.

He added: "If it's not the setup now, I think it's a good point that you have raised. Maybe we should also consider the vloggers. Kasi nga nag-transition na rin tayo from the media that we used to know, nag-shift na into digital platform.”

Rodriguez said they will also coordinate with outgoing president Rodrigo Duterte’s team for the guidance on the current media accreditation process as part of the MPC.

"If it's working, then I don't think we have to tweak it. But if it needs some improvement, absolutely we will improve it, let our friends from the media have more access to the government and to governance," he said.

During the 90-day campaign period before the polls, Marcos has been evasive with questions from the media despite claiming that he is easy to interview whenever he is out in public and that he has never refused one on whatever basis. This was shown from reports of Rappler’s Lian Buan being shoved by the presumptive president’s security detail to the snubbing of BBC reporter Howard Johnson.

Marcos is also a notorious absentee of GMA News’ the Jessica Soho presidential interviews, Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas’ Panata Sa Bayan presidential forum, CNN Philippines’ presidential debates, and Commission on Elections’ PiliPinas debates due to “biases against him and his family.” 


But the latter attended the DZRH’s presidential job forum, Korina Sanchez-Roxas’ Rated Korina one-on-one interview, and staunch supporter Apollo Quiboloy’s network SMNI debates and “Deep Probe” interview.

Moreover, the late dictator’s son is the presidential bet who benefitted the most in misinformation, while his archrival Vice President Leni Robredo is the number one victim, according to fact-checkers.


Marcos is on the verge of presidency with over 31.1 million votes, edging out Robredo’s 14.8 million votes, according to the latest partial and unofficial count with 98.32% of election returns having been transmitted. 

His running mate Sara Duterte-Carpio is set to become the 15th vice president with 31.5 million votes against Senator Kiko Pangilinan’s 9.2 million votes.


Edited by: Phylline Calubayan