Office of the President
The Office of the President is in control of state-owned media through the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), which supervises and manages the outlets on all platforms.
State-owned media include People’s Television Network, Inc., also known as PTV-4, radio station DZRB 738 Radyo Pilipinas Uno, and the online outlets Philippine News Agency, Philippine Information Agency, and RTV Malacañang, the official broadcast agency exclusively covering and documenting all the activities of the President.
As the constitution vests power of control on the president over all departments, bureaus, and agencies, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., as the incumbent head-of-state, has the ultimate control over the PCO, and by default all state media.
Marcos back in the saddle
Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. is the son of the late dictator, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., deposed in 1986 in what is hailed as “people power revolution.”
The Marcoses have been able to rehabilitate the family reputation through various communication channels, mostly social media, culminating in the successful presidential bid of Marcos, Jr. in the 2022 presidential elections.
Based on his 2016-2021 SALN, Bongbong owns 99% of the stocks in the holding company, Enoteca, Inc., and 30% of the stocks of Medici Corp, an investment firm.
He refused to release his SALN during his 2022 candidacy.
Media connection
The Marcoses are related to the Romualdez political clan of Leyte who have their own media empires.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez, the President’s cousin, has radio station networks operating in the province of Leyte, and is said to be the person behind the joint venture partnership with ABS-CBN Inc. as content provider for DWPM Radyo 630.
Romualdez’s brother, Philip, a mining executive, owns Manila Standard, and is married to Alexandra “Sandy” Prieto-Romualdez, who is owner and CEO of the Inquirer group of companies.
Media friendly, not
A Secretary heads the PCO, which is appointed by the President. The office has several undersecretaries and assistant secretaries, appointments of which are also approved by the Chief Executive.
Former president Rodrigo Duterte did away with press conferences because of his contempt for the media. Any official statement from the Palace was to be made only on the state-run channel and other networks had to ask permission from PTV-4 to tap into its broadcast and air these footage on their stations.
Under the present Marcos administration, there are also no presidential press conferences, but the Press Secretary does conduct media conferences, though not regularly, that are open to all media outlets accredited by the PCO, including vloggers.
Mr. Marcos, when possible during public functions, agrees to briefly and informally speak to the press who are assigned to cover him and his activities.
